Roses are Red
by afallfromgracex3
Summary: Sasuke didn't understand it; Him? A child? How? But there's never time to think when you're a wanted shinobi. Narusasu, Kakasasu, Kakairu, Naruita, Kakaita, Itasasu, GaaNeji, Nejisasu, SakuLee, Shikaino. MPREG. Tons of drama, sex, Akatsuki and plotfuck.
1. When I shake your hand, you scowl

**Yes indeed, my second FF!! I'm so happy about it too! **

**PLEASE REVEIW!!!!!! **

**Oh and by the way, message me and tell me if u think this 1 should be mpreg ( **

* * *

There was somebody.

Somone was calling to him. Someone was reaching out from the darkness with open arms.

But surley, nobody loved him after what happened. Surley he was all alone after what he'd done.

_It's not my fault, Kami.  
Please stop giving me this dream._

_I don't know when you'll forgive me..._

But it wasn't a dream. There was a voice that pierce the terrifying, loniley darkness that seemed to

sprout at the pit of his soul.

"Come back to me, Sasuke!"  
His own name rocketed back into his ears.

"I love you!"

It wasn't true. Nobody loved him anymore. No matter how much he they tried.

"It's not your fault!"

But it was.

_Kami, I'm real now! I know what's true and what's not!_

"I don't know you!" He yelped back, fighting the anger, fighting the endless frustration, but his own voice seemed meek, pitiful and afraid when was lost in the void.

"I don't know who you are!"

"Have you forgotten me already, Sasuke?"

He felt like running, running so far that nobody could catch him. Nobody would haunt his mind. What he thought

was precious and safe was open to everyone, even his own deamons.

He needed to get away.

"Forgotten who!"  
He fought back tears that felt like they were coming out of nowhere. Why was he crying? Who was talking to him? He was scared. He was alone. Where was he? Where was the warm arms that comforted him when he was scared? But he should know better.

He had gotten foolish.

Nobody would ever love him for what he did.

"It's me..."  
He looked up and felt no control over his own flesh. Tears like a river flowed down his cheeks. He didn't understand. Why was he crying? He tried to stop it, but it was blinding. He wanted to lay there and die.

Nobody loved him anyway.

He could barley see through the tears, the vicious tears that made him feel so hopeless. But then again, what was there to hope for? No, he couldn't see it. But he could feel it.

"No...I thought you hated me."  
"You think the world hates you."

"They will if knew what I did."

* * *

**REVEIW**


	2. You've lost but won't throw in the towel

**TeeHee, second chapter already!**

**BankotsuChick**

* * *

"-And Good Morning Konoha! I'm happy to annouce that your weekley forcast will be sunny with a chance of-"

"Fuck you!"

Sasuke's eyes were wide as he glared at the alarm clock radio that, moments before had been lying on his bedside table, it's inner contents sprawled across the floor in the heaps of his worthless possesstions, the dictionary sized book that had been used to dismantel it below him, spine broken.

"Aww...shit..." Sasuke growled, his heart coming to a normal pace after being rudely awakend by a peppy news caster that obviously had nothing better to do this morning than bother Sasuke. He lay down carefully as if somthing was about to jump out at him, and snuggled under the fluffy duvet.

Sasuke had another dream again.

And it was bad.

"...eh Neji?" Sasuke mumbled into the receiver. His head was still throbbing and he shoved a pillow over his forehead, arched his back and closed his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, hold on a second, Sasuke." Sasuke rolled his eyes as he shuffling was heard in the backround and a few 'shut up, he'll here us' being thrown back and forth.

"Okay, what is it, Sasuke. Me 'n Gaara were...uh..._busy._"

Sasuke grouned. It wasn't fair. He hadn't done it in weeks- too many weeks to admit, even to Neji-while the Hyuuga and Gaara were at it like rabbits first thing in the morning.

"Hey..uhh...I had one uh those dreams again and I kinda wanna talk to you."

"...oh God, about he-who-shall-not-be-mentioned? Sasuke, baby, this is kinda a bad time. Ow, that hurt, Gaara! You bastard...naughty bastard." Sasuke made a face and waited impationattly for him to say somthing eles.

"Stop making faces, he threw somthing at me, okay?"  
The raven haired boy blinked.

"I can't tell if that's a jutsu, or your pyschic."

"Maby I've just known you too long, Sasu-chan." Neji always used _chan _when he was feeling bad for Sasuke, was in a fight with Gaara and feeling submissive and upset, or when he was being nice.

But the last one was so rare, Sasuke figured he was pitying him.

Again.

"Neji, never mind. You can go back to what ever you were doing, okay? And, please, if you wanna be _allowed _to be fucked anymore, I'd be quite or your neighbors will sure you for disturbing the peace."  
"...Uhh..." He knew Neji was blushing. "...thanks. Hope your okay, Sasuke-chan. Ow, Gaaraaa! I'm commmming! Bye Sasuke!"

But Sasuke was already gone.

* * *

"I'm sick of all this couple's stuff, you know, Hinata?"

"S-sure, Sasuke-sama." Hinata was always so polite. She smiled at Kiba, who was smiling back, reaching out for her hand. Sasuke twitched.

"Dammit, Hinata!" Sasuke hissed, burning his tounge on the coffee. "Why are you always...so polite!"  
Kiba growled and glared at Sasuke, and, after looking at the female Hyuuga's confusing and somwhat frightened expression, marched over to Sasuke and grabbed his coller.  
Sasuke looked strait into Kiba's eyes, his heart racing at the friend he had known for so long ready to kill him over the one he loved..

Kiba was kinda...hot...

"S-sorry, Kiba...I'm sorry...I just..."

"Don't appologize to me, appologize to Hinata..." The raven haired twitched again. He was taking it a little far, though, at the same time, Sasuke only wished somone would do the same thing for him.

Defend him, hold his hand, serve coffee at a cafe with him...

"S-sorry Hinata."

"Oh, It's okay Sasuke!" Hinata picked up things. She knew, everybody knew, why he was in such a crappy mood.

"I don't understand how you forgive people like that, Hinata." Kiba said, grasping her hand again.

Sasuke felt the hair on his neck bristle.

"Though, I guess you did break up with him like, what, a week ago."

"Shut up!"

"Oh, Sasuke, he didn't meen it!" Hinata soothed as Sasuke got up from the table and was about to storm out of the coffee shop.

"I'm sorry I just..." He said, his voice breaking. "Miss him so..much..."

"Oh, I know, believe me..." She said in a low, calm voice that remind Sasuke alot of his own mother. He burried his head in his crossed arms so he wouldn't start to cry.

Sasuke would got through perillous battles with powerful jounin, go undercover as a secret Konoha spy, and even risk his life countless times, but he would never, ever cry.

* * *

"Ahhh, Kakashi, lighten up alittle!" Kakashi glared across the room at Iruka, who seemed to be 'lightening up' a little too much. Iruka always drank when he was worried. And latley, Iruka was always worried.

"Irukaaaaa-kunnn..." Kakashi whined, putting a hand on his shoulder gently, but firmly. "You know that we talked about your little...erm...drinking problem!"

"Awwwww..." Iruka siad, swinging back his head to gulp down another portion of sake.

"Iz no problem! Really!"

Kakashi rolled his eyes.

"Iruka, Sasuke tried calling me and I'm sure he needs someone right now."  
"Your relized..." Hiccup. "You were talking about..._Sasuke_?"

Kakashi shoved Iruka in the arm and glared at the Chunin.

"You would be ashamed if you were sober right now, Iruka-sama. You should be conforting Naruto!"  
"Naruto's...not upset."  
"Yes he is!"  
"Kakashi...I was his Sensei for three years. I probably know him better than anyone. Trust me."  
Kakashi sighed. "Fine. Get drunk and three in the afternoon. See if I care." The silver haired jounin mumbled, pulling a coat over his traditional uniform. "But I've gotta go see Sasuke."

Iruka made a face at Kakashi, but felt slightly guilty when he saw Naruto standing in the doorway of their apartment.

"You don't think I miss him, Iruka...?" Naruto sighed, coming to sit down next to him. "He hates me now. I would do anything to get back togather with him, but it's not my fault."

Iruka put a hand on his shoulder and offered him some sake. Naruto promptly declined and burried his head in his hands.

"I'm sorry, I just..." His voice started to break. "Miss him so much..."  
"Oh, I know, believe me..."  
Unlike Sasuke, Naruto started to cry.

* * *

"What do you want _now_? My life just _sucks_! I might as well _die_!"

"Bad time?"  
Kakashi sighed and put a hand on the shoulder of the moody teen. Sasuke shoved him away.

"I just don't feel very hug-able right now, Kakashi!" Sasuke growled, getting up and flopping down on the couch.

"Well, I'm sure he feels the same way, you know. I'm sure he dose."

"No he dosn't! He probably making out with some slut right now!"

"Aww..." Kakashi pulled Sasuke into a hug. "You can cry to me.."

"Not funny." Sasuke sniffled. "Not funny at all."

"I never said it was funny. Shesh, you needa lighten up." Kakashi grouned when he noticed he had told Iruka, the now drunk-off-his-ass Chunin, the same thing.

"But just don't get drunk, okay? You'll never find anything at the bottom of a shot glass."

"Huh?"  
"Nevermind."

Sasuke sighed, feeling needy and upset.

"I just wish he hadn't left me in such a tight spot. I meen, he just left. I meen, I barley have enough money for food, let alone bills, and that damn fox idiot..." He sighed. "Hasn't even called."  
"You just want somebody...who would take care of you?" Sasuke glared. "No. That's not what I ment. But what would you understand anyway?"

"I understand plenty about people leaving, Sasuke. But I wouldn't do that to you..."

"Kakashi..."

"Kakashi will never leave you...Sasuke."  
"How do I know that?"  
"The funny thing is,"

Kakashi said, pulling down his mask and brushing his lips against Sasuke's. "You don't. You just have to..." He roughly pushed Sasuke to the couch until the Uchiha was lying on his back, vounerable .  
"Kakashi, I can't, you were my teacher, your older than me and I just-" He was silenced, rather quickly at that, by another kiss, this one stealing his breath and making his entire face flush.

"Arn't you going out with Iruka?" Sasuke panted, giving in. It wasn't fair, he was denied this for so long...

"...Damn you Sasuke..." Kakashi mumbled, tracing his thin lips with his tounge. "Why do you have to be like everybody eles..."

His hands brushed against Sasuke's hips, making him quiver. He didn't love Kakashi, he didn't love anyone anymore, but he wanted the heat...he needed it...

"Your a jounin and I'm just a-"  
"So?"  
Kakashi's nimbled and rough hands unzipped Sasuke's sweatshirt, the Uchiha's heart beating out of his chest.

_Neji would be so dissapointed in me..._

"That...your so..." Sasuke wined, pleading, feeling hot fingertips trace his exposed stomach. "Shut up, Sasuke. You talk too much."

Sasuke scoffed, arching his back to remove the buckle of his shorts.

"This is really...w-wrong..." Sasuke hissed. Kakashi scoffed, unzipping his own pants. "Who the hell cares?"

* * *

Sasuke woke up groggy.

He knew that he had done somthing shamful; it wasn't like in those cheezy books and movies where the're drunk, sleep with someone and don't remember a thing. Sasuke knew what had happened. He just wished it hadn't. He was sore, more sore than he could have ever imagined being. He hated knowing he was in someone eles's bed, but then he relized it wasn't even a bed. It was a _couch_ he had done it on. Did he have _any_ dignity left? Sasuke wished, rolling over painfully onto his back, that he could go back in time, to where he was smashing the alarm clock with a hard-cover dictionary and talking to Hinata and her hot boyfriend.

There was the feeling that Kakashi wasn't there anymore, but Sasuke always felt like that, he knew that he was there and he didn't want to see him. Sasuke tried to sit up, the cheap cloth the couch was made out of itching his bare, exposed skin.

He had slept with Kakashi. What had he gotten himself into?  
There was somthing lying beside him, he noticed, getting rid of the blanket Kakashi had draped over him.

He slipped on his boxers and picked up the white, crisp envelope with his name scrawled across the front.

Being the curious little Uchiha that he was, Sasuke quickly slipped his fingers into the envelope and fingered paper.

Was that...money? No way in hell...

Just as he was fingering the thick stack of ten-dollar bills, Kakashi stumbled into the room, shirtless and clearly looking for somthing.

"Is this some kind of joke?" Sasuke growled, throwing the envelope at the masked man with full force but clearly no aim. Kakashi didn't look at all amused. "No."

"Then what is it?"  
Kakashi looked at Sasuke for a moment, like the Uchiha was some kind of idiot before sitting down beside him.

"I'm not in love with you Sasuke. And your not in love with me. I slept with you."  
"You're calling me a prositute? You bastard!"  
"Well, what would you call you?"

Sasuke stared a moment. Steam might as well have been coming out his ears. He didn't understand. Or did he, and just didn't want to look at it?

"Babe, I don't want you to go sleeping around with all the guys who give you a few sweet sentences that are totally meaningless. I just wanted you to relize what your doing. And I need you to get out, by the way. Iruka's coming over and if he finds out, all of Konoha finds out."

Sasuke said nothing as he got up and put on his jacket, but he walked home with a heavy, heavy heart.

Neji, Hinata, Kiba and Naruto would be so dissapointed.

_I'm going to be looking for you...in the darkness..._

* * *

**How was that one? Better? If you hate it, don't comment!**

**But if you liked it...REVEIW**

**BankotsuChick**


	3. Telling me off, nodding slighly curt

**_YAY_ CHAPTER 3!  
REVEIW!**

**BankotsuChick**

* * *

_I'm going to be looking for you...in the darkness..._

Naruto grumbled as he deleted Sasuke's number from his cell phone. It hurt more than he thought it would. Next came each indevidual message the Uchiha sent him. They all ment somthing; they were all word games.

"I used to love that about you, dammit."

But now all Naruto did was wish it was back. He wished and Sasuke hated. It was how the world worked.

_I'll be looking for you...in the darkness..._

That had been the last message and Naruto still hadn't figured it out.

What did it meen? And the strangest part was, he had just received it. But thats impossible.

Sasuke never would speak to him again...

_"Uchiha."  
"Uzimaki."_

_"Sasuke..."_

_"Naruto..."_

_"..."_

_"..."_

_"What? Arn't you going to say it?"  
"I can't."  
"Why?"  
"Because I don't."  
_

He always said 'I love you' after their fights. He always did. What had changed? Did he love somone eles?

No, no, he didn't love anyone eles. Naruto knew Sasuke. Sasuke couldn't love anyone eles if he tried.

Then why would he reach out to him?  
There were only two possible answers:  
1. He was still in in love with him.

2. He was in trouble.

Naruto, then, guessed he could always just be wanting sex, but that wasn't Sasuke. No, Sasuke could't love anyone if he tried.

* * *

Sasuke's sharinghan eyes blared with a painful regret.

"I'm not in love with him...and I slept with him?" Sasuke knew he shouldn't be so upset, but he couldn't help it. It was like a guilt that bore into his soul. Would he be all empty when it was over?

He burried his head in his hands and looked out at the ocean. It was the only place, the only place he could ever come to without being fallowed by somone or needed by someone.

Finally, he was all alone.

The stone wall was sprikled with cold, rocky sand, but it was the only kind in Konoha and he didn't have much of a choice. It was okay, it was better. He didn't like this perfect anyway. Dreamy and kind like the whole world was like that. It made him think he was on cloud and that he was safe. Safe on a cloud with his love and happy with that pure, soft sand.

But no, he was never safe. He would never be on a cloud and he shouldn't ever think he would be.

It only made it hurt more when he fell from the sky.

The redness in his sharinghan eyes made the swelling waves that reflected in his eyes bloody like slaughtered bodies were lying on shore.

How grim.

In an instant he blinked and once again his eyes were the color of his hair; a deep, thoughtful and mysterious black. But there was always somthing behind his eyes, somthing he couldn't get rid of with a blink.

There was a sadness. A hate, Sasuke noticed when he looked in the mirror.

A hate that wasn't there when Naruto was.

"Hey."  
Sasuke's heart leaped, a chill tingling down his spine like fingers working a marrionette.

_Am I just a puppet to the fear?_

His entire body stiffened and he didn't move._ Slowly...cautious..._

He turned his head, the heat rushing to his face.

It was just Neji. Sasuke took a deep breath and collapsed on the stone wall, lying on his back and staring up at the stars.

"Hey, Sasuke. You okay?"  
"I'm fine."

There was an akward silence, one that lasted much long than he thought it would. Neji was wrapping his arms around his thin frame. He wasn't usually so skinny; he was usually toned with muscel that rippled beneathe tan skin and a tight waredrobe.

Was he okay?

Neji's brunette hair was flowing in his face, the soft carress of the gentle breeze and the ocean spray illuminating his skin. God, he was gorgeous.

Neji flickered his eyes to Sasuke and the Uchiha could feel the heat of the pearl eyes that burned into his flesh making him want to sqirm in his own skin. Neji knew it. It would only be a second...

"How bout you. You don't look to hot." Sasuke mumbled into his coller, sitting up and looking at his lap. It was true. Neji's entire face looked like he was casted in some sort of spell, one he couldn't break out of.

No, he wasn't okay.

"I'm fine."  
"No your not."

"Damn you, Sasuke."

Sasuke, who was shorter, but not by too much, took Neji's arm and looked him strait in the eye. Neji looked suprised.

"Neji, I came here to be alone, but clearly that isn't going to happen. Your lying to me. I know it. Come on, teme. Tell me right now or I'll get up and leave you here all alone. Trust me, its depressing."  
Neji's eyes brimmed with tears and he quickly smothered his face in his sleeve of the cream-colored jacket that was too big for him.

What the fuck?

Neji + most emotions confused Sasuke.

"Neji, what's going on, are you ok-"

"Gaara and I...we broke up..."

Sasuke's heart stopped.

"N-no...Oh, Neji...baby I'm so sorry..."

Sasuke didn't understand. He had never seen somthing as beautiful as the love the two of them shared. Eating the same ice-cream and getting it on their noses; using the same blanket when it was a cold picnic in the park, sharing an apartment when they got serious and most of all sharing a kiss.

Sometimes ravenous with lust, the heat firey and burning at the soul.

Sometimes passionette with love, the smallest touch of their lips a seal of there endless devotion.

It wasn't fair; it was never fair. Sasuke wished he had warned Neji; the poor Hyuuga fell from his cloud and the raven haired wondered if he would ever heal.

"...yeah..." Neji mumbled into his sleve, still covering his eyes. "...I'm okay, though, really."

"No your not, Neji." Sasuke sighed, and, in doing somthing he rarely did, wrapped his arms around the taller boy's neck.

"You're coming back to my place."

* * *

Kakashi's heavy feet and his sinking heart indicated to Iruka that somthing was wrong.

"Hey Kakashi, why'd you invite me over anyway? Naruto needed my help I think he's sad again about Sasuke. If I drink any more I think I'm gunna pass out."

Kakashi sat down and sighed.

"What's wrong?" Iruka said, coming to sit next to him. "Your never this depressed. I don't think I've ever seen you like this."

"If I tell you..." Kakashi began, crossing his legs and laying his head back. "And be an honest man...would you deny me the credibily and sencarity of the time you have known me?"  
Iruka barley knew what he said.

"Uhhh...yeah, buddy. I'll still love ya."

Kakashi rolled his eyes and sighed again.

"I slept with Sasuke."

"What the fuck!"

That was the exact opposite of what Kakashi thought he would say.

* * *

Gaara wished he never did anything as he let the water run over his thick red hair.

He wished he had said he was sorry and never picked up that bottle, or his fists. It wasn't fair, but Sauske was right. Nothing was.

He heard knocking and came to his door, made a face and turned off the shower head. The boy quickly threw somthing over himself so he was at least covered a little wrapped in a nothing but towel.

Naruto was there, a bottle of _tequilla _for Kami's sake clutched in his hands, his eyes glued to Gaara's shimmering, toned and flat stomach.

"Hey, Kaze." Naruto grumbled. "Thought I'd drop by, you know. To say hi 'n stuff. I think I'm really missing Sasuke." His eyes were still scanning Gaara, moving from his abs lower and lower where his towel was, riding losely on his flawless hips...

Gaara rolled his eyes and put one hand on his hips.

"Look Naruto if you have nothing to say, please lea-"

"Aw what the hell!" He said, pushing Gaara against the wall and forcing his lips over the other's, the Kazekage's eyes wide as he thin little bath towel fluttered to the floor.

* * *

**Teehee hee... any more plot ideas?**

**BankotsuChick**

**REVEIW!!!!!**


	4. I feel nothing cause I know you're hurt

**Well, this chapter is kinda graphic, but not really, lol. I don't think I've put enought Naruto in this, only mentions of him, so the'll be more.**

**BankotsuChick**

"Neji, I want you to know that it's going to be okay...he wasn't the right guy for you."  
Neji took a swig on his beer that Sasuke had given him to calm his nerves.

"I'll never find another guy as nice and...hot as Gaara." Sasuke sighed and put his weary head on Neji's shoulder. Neji blushed a little and closed his eyes.

"I miss Naruto too. Those damn idiot always mess up are lives when their getting good for the first time."  
Neji didn't reply but took another swig.

"But it's probably better for us anyway. We can meet new people. Hey, why did you break up with Gaara anyway."

"So what is it, truth or dare?"  
"I guess, but only the truth part. I don't wanna eat a bug or somthing."

Neji sighed and placed his empty bottle on the counter. It was the right thing to do." The Hyuuga sighed. "It was the only thing to do."

"What do you meen by that."

Sasuke said back. He felt safe and warm for the first time in a very long time. Neji radiated a calming heat and the soft, dim candle light instead of the harsh lamps gave his features a beautiful glowing tinge. He placed a hand over Neji's.

"He hit me, Sasuke..." Neji moved an uncomfortable hand that was under Sasuke's. What was making him so uncomforable? It was just Sasuke. Sasuke, his best friend. A tear rolled silently down his cheek. Sasuke wiped it off with his sleeve. Neji sighed.

"I'm sorry...I shouldn't be pouring my probablems out to you."  
"It's okay."  
"I've never known you to be the sympathetic type, you know."  
"Few people have. Only the people I really like..." He gave his cute little half-smile. "I like you Neji. Alot. And you shouldn't have stayed with him."  
"But I love him!" Neji whined. "I still love him, Sauske!" The tears were coming. Neji was crying.

"You think I don't love Naruto still? You don't? You'd be wrong!" Sasuke's teeth were gritted as he fought the fact that he vision was getting blurry. But he still remained in the same place.

"G-gaara..." Neji stuttered. "He was always there for me. He was so cute when he laughed and smiled and he always made me feel safe...until then." Sasuke burried his head in Neji's arm.

"He was drinking and we faught...and he hit me really hard..."

"What?" Neji growled as Sasuke asked, lifting up his shirt. "Oh my god..." Almost the entire side of his body was black and blue bruised.

"Don't touch it, it hurts..." He cried. "There one on my cheek healed so you can't see it. It'll be fine, Sasuke. Don't w-worr-ry...a-about..m-me-e...!"

"Baby, I'll always worry about you. You're my best friend."  
"I miss Gaara..."  
"I miss Naruto...too."

"Look at us..." Neji said after a while with a smirk. "Where so pathetic. Crying and drinking and talking about love. Oh yes, this is what the Uchiha and Hyuuga clans would be so proud of, right Sasuke?"

But Sasuke had fallen asleep.

"Aww, man." He sighed. "I can't move...Sasuke get off." Sasuke snuggled deeper into his arm.

"I l-love you, N-n..." Naruto? Was he saying Naruto? Or perhaps...Neji? Neji undid the tie in his thick wispy brunnette hair and cupped the Uchiha's pale face.

"Your...so...beautiful, Sasuke...so fragile...nothing like Gaara, Mr. Super Seme." Neji's crystaline tear flowed onto Sasuke's face.

"I think I like you too, Sasuke. Alot."

Neji tried his best to sleep, but it wouldn't come to him. Little did he know, Sasuke had never fallen asleep either.

* * *

Lips traveling greedily over one another, electrifying, shocking...tounge's tracing mouths, necks, moans escaping, pressed against the wall, whining, pleading...begging for the touch, the heated, heated touch...

"What the hell do you think you're doing!" Gaara hissed, pushed the Uzimaki away and grabbing his towel.

"I don't know." Naruto admitted. "What would you have done if I was Sasuke? Sasuke standing in the door clad only in the slightest cloth...wet..."  
Gaara sighed."The same thing." He said slightly shamefully.

"See?"  
"But I'm not Sasuke, Naruto. You have to stop trying to replace him. I'm not Sasuke and I never will be."

* * *

"Hey, Sasuke, get up."

"What? Neji? What are you doing...here..."

"Don't you remember?"

"No."

Sasuke rubbed his head and yawned, taking his knees to his chest. The floor. He had slept on the floor...with Neji...there were beer bottles on the floor...  
"Gawd, I'm tierd."

"...me too."  
"...yeah..."

"Look, Sauske. I have to get back to Gaara..." He stopped suddenly, slowly a hand covered his mouth.

Sasuke sighed.

"It's not fair..." Neji sobbed, sliding to the floor beside's Sasuke. "It's not fair."

Sasuke was sick of this, all this sadness...It wasn't fair, but life wasn't fair. It never would be. Nobody loved him, and nobody would. It wasn't fair, sure, but it was life.

"Hey, what happened last night. I don't remember a thing."

"...yeah, I think we fell asleep."

"Obviously."

"...ummm Sasuke...did we..umm."

"Doubt it. You were crying to hard over Gaara to get into my pants."

There was a pause.

"Would you have...?"

Sasuke fake-yawned to cover his blush and stood up, stretching. He was always so nonchalant, it was almost sickening.

Did he feel anything? Neji thought. Did he miss Naruto like Neji missed Gaara? Would he sob when Naruto was late out on a mission and didn't come home? Did he share a ice-cream and laugh and take cherished pictures? Did he hug, did he kiss, did he lust, did he love?

Did...he...

But Neji had stopped thinking.

Sasuke had kissed him.

* * *

"Aw...shit..."

"Look, it's not that bad.."

"Or course it's that bad.!" Iruka whined, frantically jumping up and down. "That's really bad!"

Kakashi sighed, put his his head back in his hands, cracked open a beer that was on the table and listened to Iruka mumbling 'ohmygodohmygodohmygod' when searching for more alchohol. He always drank when he stressed or worried, and he was always stressed and worried. That was just Iruka.

But now he really exploded.

"...he's so much younger and more neive that you! You took adavantage of him!"

Kakashi's eye brow twitched.

"That was probably his first time and your such a pervert!"

"You and I both know it wasn't."  
Kakashi tried to mentally block out the screech made by the chunin.

"So! Your awful!"

One.

"Your like some kind of...immiture beast!"

Two...

"You'll sleep with anything that has a pulse! No wait, scratch that! Anything at all!"

Three...  
"Your not in love with him!"  
That's when Kakashi stormed out, because he wasn't sure it was true.

* * *

It was so light and soft, soft like the breeze and light like air.

Neji wondered if their had been anything at all as he stared at Sasuke.

"W-what...? But Sasuke...y-you don't love me." Sasuke's throute felt tight.

_Maby I do...But I can't tell you that because I know you still like Gaara..._

Sasuke looked up, and quoted Kakashi, somthing he'd regret if he didn't have a massive hangover and was still slightly out of it.

"Why the hell do you care?"  
Neji returned the kiss and Sasuke was out of breath in an instant, tilting his head down so neither his eyes nor his lips met the brunette's. Was it the fact he was kissing his best friend and he was just Neji's rebound guy, or was it the fact that he was so desprate for it...

But Sasuke didn't have time to think.

Sasuke never had time to think. Neji tilted his chin twards his again and kissed him once more.

It was like a battle for dominence and Sasuke was fighting his hardest. His kiss was stronger than Naruto's and much more passionette. Sasuke found it hard to return it, the caress of the other's moist mouth over his...tounge traveling down his neck...the whining, the pleading...would he really let Neji win?  
Not in hell.

Sasuke turned shoving the Hyuuga against the wall and slipping his leg between Neji's, the heat between them becoming unbearable.

"No way I'm letting you win, damn Uchiha..." He panted. Neji could have controll in and instant and he knew it.  
The Uchiha's big ebony eyes were wide and lustful. When was the last time...when he actually might love someone besides Naruto. Never...he had never liked let alone loved anyone eles? But this was too tireing.

"Damn, your so competitive,"

Neji growled, panting, his shirt all the way unbottoned now so Sasuke couls see the taut stomach that was rippling with hard muscel that left Sasuke stunned. "Wanna let me win or just flip a coin or somthing?"

"Coin please."

He felt his stomach knot as he watched the loose brunette hair fall over Neji's slim shoulders, his headband falling right over his eyebrows half covering the pearl eyes as he dug in his pockets for said coin.

"We're using a penny." He said, preparing to toss it in the air.

"But I wanna flip it." Sasuke whined.  
"No."

"Your just concerned you'll end up uke again. If I can't flip it, we use a nickle."

"No! I hate nickels!"

"Fine, how bout a quarter?"

"Okay, okay, okay." Sasuke waited impationettly. This squabling wasn't exactly turning him on.

"Hey, Sasuke?"

"Yeah?"

"I don't have any quarters."

"Fine, I'll check then...damn! All I have are stupid dimes!"

But Neji didn't care about pennies, nickles, dimes or quarters. He cared about Sasuke. Roughly ending the battle for domminece, Neji captured Sasuke's in his own, more chapped, boyish lips, shoving him onto the carpet.

"Not the fucking carp-" The Uchiha was quite then, the nose of the Hyuuga bumping against his, the sudden protest cut short.

"Shut...up...Sasuke." And before he could reply, his mouth was smothered in the others.

Neji's tounge shoved carlessly into his mouth, Neji's hands on either side of his slim hips, Neji's hair in wisps over his face, Neji's kiss that stole the oxegen from his lungs...

It was Neji.

Neji who left him breathless.

But what about Gaara? Gaara who was probably hating himself for losing such an awsome guy...Gaara who still loved Neji and didn't know he was in the process of fucking Sasuke.

So Neji had no buisness in kissing him. None at all.

But right now, Sasuke could care less about Gaara or Neji's regrets. He knew he'd hate himself for it later, how he'd be like Konoha's local slut, sleeping with every guy he knew, and how he was being so awful to his friend.

He was startled from his daze by blood being drawn from his lower lip. A sensation trickled down his spine like icey fingers as Neji's tounge lapped up the hot, fresh blood.

"Neji!"

It was ment to be reprimand, it was ment to be harsh and deciplining, but it came out like a whisper for the feeling. He couldn't say no, he wouldn't say no. But there was a heat building up in his stomach, like a fiery guilt that bore into his soul, his vounerable, weak soul with ever gasp of breathe, every whimper for the touch, the tightening in his shorts that was getting hard to stand, hard to ignore, the hand mussing up his hair, the hot breath on his face...

This had to stop...It was...wrong. But when, again, was Sasuke Uchiha suppose to care about wrong and righte?

In the frantic, feverish dance of tounge and hand and whisper and moan, fingers tickled the bare, pale skin that shirts and belts and headbands and sweatshirts found themselves in piles, random piles thrown that made Sasuke question his self when he usually wouln't let a sock touch the floor unless there was a foot in it.

Why was Sasuke so willing?

Sure, with Naruto he liked him, but there was no telling to what was real. He was too young, too nieve.

And with Kakashi, it was pure lust alone because he hadn't had sex in weeks. There was nothing deeper to that.

But with Neji...

He felt somthing eles. Maby it was because he was still a little drunk and he couldn't think through his pouding headache. But then, why, did Sasuke fight for domminece for the first time in his life, like it was worth fighting for? Why did he care when most of the time he could barley stand his own company?

The kisses that flew over his neck and face and stomach; it was all so strange, though, he had done it many times before this, it felt different.

Was it because it was someone who understood him so well?

The heat of the weight on him, the pressure of the knee between his legs taht were spead out obsenely wide

"...N-neji..."

Sasuke didn't know why he said it, he recalled after the incedent as the two removed all acticals of clothing.

Maby it was because he loved him. This was somthing he couldn't question.

* * *

Gaara was glad when Naruto left, a heat still coursing through his veins.

"That bastard. Nobody makes...me..._submit_..." He spat, walking slow into his closet. He was practically begging, whining, almost moaning, and it was disgusting. He figured maby he should go over there and make sure Naruto knew who was the seme in Konoha, but he would never go crawling back to Naruto.

Or anyone, for that matter. Never.

He dressed quicky, hating the feel...there were the burn of the _lips_ of his rival still on his flesh...the _carress_ of the hot tounge being forced down his throut so he could barley breathe...

No. He only missed it because of Neji. He only missed the feeling because of Neji.

Neji...His fists burned with regret, his mouth with the taste of alchohol on his lips.

"I hate you so much, dammit. I hate you, I hate you I...hate...you..." No. It wasn't happening. No. He wasn't crying. Never. He was Gaara, for Kami's sake. Gaara.

"Had I ever...told you I loved you..." He growled into his shirt coller. No, he hadn't. He had never said it at all.

"Will I ever be able to tell you I'm sorry?"

"You can..." A voice echoed from the doorway. Gaara didn't bother to turn his head. He knew who it was, and he would always know who it was.

"...and maby I'll forgive you. But..." The man said with and exhausted voice and tussled hair, regretfully wiping the tears away and .

"I don't think your going to forgive me."

* * *

**_REVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIW!!!!!!!!!!_**

**This is getting confusing, isn't it?  
Like I said, the'll be alot more NaruSasu, witch will explains the proloug ( Oh yeah, and I'll put in more people, but right now its kinda only Sauske Neji, Gaara and Naruto...**

**So to get things strait: **

**Sasuke thinks he still likes NARUTO but dosn't forgive him for dumping him, and he also might _love_ NEJI! **

**Neji just thought was a good guy to fuck and has NO real FEELINGS for him but friendship because he loves GAARA!**

**Naruto dosn't know if he likes Gaara OR Sasuke.**

**Gaara likes NEJI and feels bad for what he did.**

**Iruka likes KAKASHI witch explains the jelousy when Kakashi told him**

**Kakashi KNOWS Iruka likes him but thinks he loves SASUKE!**

**WOW, ****LOL this is like a soap opra. Just wait till what happens next...its gets even more dramatic! (if thats possible!)**

**-BANKOSTUCHICK**


	5. This had been the summer of love

**Teehee, Sorry about this plot getting so confusing!**

**( -  
**

**Well, I hope you guys like this chapter! AND DON'T FORGET TO REVEIW!  
**

**-BankotsuChick**

* * *

"Hey...sorry what happened the other night."

Naruto had phoned Gaara, approximatly half an hour before Neji had left Sasuke and went to go see Gaara.

"..." Gaara blushed. "...umm...whatever."

"Hey, do you know where Sasuke is? I kinda wanna talk to him. You know. Maby we can...well..."

"I doubt it." Gaara chewed his nails casually. "After what you did, and how sensitive the Uchiha Ice Princess can sometimes be, well, your kinda outta luck."

"...you think?" Naruto whined. Sasuke wouldn't take him back?"

"No. it's just fun to hear your voice after I say it. Sasuke loves you."  
"Either you like to see people suffer or you have somthing stuck way to far up your ass."

"Hmph."

There was a pause, a long, very akward silence.

"Do you know where he is or not?""At his apartment."

"You sure?" Gaara decided false hope was better than nothing.

"N-...yes."

"Oh, wait. Say hi to Neji for me, okay? And try not to..erm...keep in mind that other people like to sleep. Gaara? Gaara-teme?"  
But Gaara had hung up.

* * *

"Nn...wake up, Sasuke-teme!" Neji stretched, his slim body stretching out over the carpet. Sasuke was curled up by the roaring fireplace, already slipped on his boxers, probably painfully after Neji had fallen right asleep.

_Damn,_ Neji grouned, sitting up and feeling emencly tired. _Four fucking times. Gaara couldn't do that if he tried..._

He sat up but just then there was a knock on the door. Neji yawned and streched some more, wrapped a blanket from off the floor around his waist, and walked slowly to the door, taking his time as the person pounded on the door.

"Oh all right already, geez!" Neji growled, feeling irritable from lack of sleep. "N-naruto!" Naruto blushed and looked away. How many really hot guys did he have to see mostly-nude before he could see somone fully clothed?

"Um hey, Neji. What are you doing here? Not dressed either..."

"I-I..." The genius of the Hyuuga clan stuttered, his mind racing with an excuse. "I slept over because...me 'n Sasuke got drunk at a bar and we...kinda had a slumber party! I meen I slept over! Yeah!" He akwardly laughed. Naruto raised an eyebrow.

"And you sleep naked?"

"Mmnn-hmmm."

"...that's not somthing I needed to know..." Naruto said, still giving Neji a strange glance. "...unless its the middle of the night, your easy and I'm drunk...but okay..."

Neji couldn't believe what would be all over Konoha tomorrow: 'The great Neji Hyuuga gets drunk in bars, has slumber parties with Sasuke Uchiha and sleeps naked!' How wonderful.

"So hey, where's Sasuke?"  
"Dead-I meen out getting groceries!" Neji wasn't good with improv. and it was quite obvious. He just said what came to him, hoping to rely on it, but no, nothing was easy, was it, Kami?

"What's going on, Neji. Let me in."

"You can't...!"

"Why not!"

"Because Sauske's getting groceries! No, hes at a mission!"

Naruto pushed Neji aside and walked into the the living room where he saw the Uchiha half-dead on the floor, clothes everywhere.

But of course, Naruto was clueless.

"Sasuke's letting his apartment get so messy!" Naruto growled. "What happened to him?"

"I told you, we got drunk."

"Sasuke, wake up." The Uzumaki shook his shoulder. Sasuke mumbled exactly the opposite of what Neji was praying-praying-for.

"Hey, Hyuuga." He tried to move, but winced. "That was the _wildest_ fucking...fuck..of my fucking _life_!...AH! NARUTO!"

* * *

Sakura Haruno glanced at her shimmering diamond ring and sighed.

"In a week, I'll be Mrs. Sakura Haruno Lee!" Well, that would take some getting used to.

Ino stood in the doorway, smoothing the creases out of her bridesmade dress and then hung it in the closet.

"...you excited, Saku-chan? About the wedding?" Sakura nodded stifley while shifting nervously before flopping down on her duvette. She _was_ excited, but she felt like somthing horrible was going to happen. Somthing she couldn't stop.

"Sakura, honey, where are you!"

She groaned as she relized what. It was her _parents. _"In here _mother..."_ She spat. She knew how her parents detested Lee in everyway shape and form, but one rude remark from them this time and she would tell them this weekend was hers and nothing was going to stop her.

Not even her _mother and father._

Her mother was a stocky women who was wore too much blue eye shadow that clashed pretty badly with her bright pink hair. Her dress was typical women in her fifties, but she commented on everything Sakura did. Her career. Her fiance. Her clothes...her hair... her friends, her-the list could go on and on, but she didn't feel like thinking about it right now.

* * *

Kakashi was walking home from a mission- witch was very supprising because he never did anything these days- when Sasuke came into his head. This happened alot latley and he hated it. It made him weak. And Kakashi could never show his emotions.

Why do you think he wore a mask?

But no matter how much he would deny it, it was true. He missed Sasuke. Kakashi felt like turning on the radio when he got home and singing some stupid, sad love song that he suprisingly knew the words to by some one-hit-wonder from the 80's and cry alot, but that just wasn't Kakashi. Besides, anyone who knew him and saw him doing that would wonder why he didn't come out at ten.

No matter how much he wanted too, he never showed emotion.

Just as Kakashi walked into his apartment and turned on the radio, 'Since You've Been Gone' by Kelly Clarkson came on. Kakashi sat down, listened to the first few lines, cursed because he was in the first place, and smashed the thing against the wall and stormed down the wall to Iruka's apartment.

* * *

"And that's when I left." Neji sighed, staring with his big opal eyes swimming with guilt. "When Naruto came in, there was no point what so ever in staying."

"That's about...the worst fucking story I have ever heard." Gaara snarled, standing up. Neji shrank in his position like some tiny, weak child. Memories flashed through his mind.

_He's swaring again, I want to know what's wrong but he won't talk to me and he won't listen hes yelling at me, hes swaring at me now_

"How could you sleep with my rival and then go crawling back to me!"

_I just wanted to help I dont understand why you looked at me like that_

"I'm sorry dammit! I love you and I want to be back with you!" Tears sprang to his eyes.

_The last time you yelled at me yes it was when you raised that bottle and raised that hand..._

"...Sasuke...you slept with a guy that easy? Were you that desprate for sex, you...you..."  
_You glared at me, you snarled at me cant you understand I dont your suppose to be smarter than me your suppose to be better your suppose to know these things_

"Yes! Yes I was desprate!"

_I never thought you'd hit me, I thought you cared, why'd you hurt me, Koiishi? Why?  
_"I can'y believe you. You think I'd..."  
_Are you sorry like I am?_

"I was hoping you would! But apparently, it was a wast of gas and breathe!" Neji got up and collected his jacket, quivering slightly, like a little leaf in the breeze...all alone...

_Do you love me like I love you?_

"...Neji..." Gaara sprang out of his seat and grabbed Neji's wrist. He's blurry emrald eyes locked with Neji's pearl eyes for the slightest instant, but thats all they needed. It told them everything.

_Maby, I don't know. Maby we both hate eachother. Maby. I don't understand, then, if you do. I don't understand. But maby I'm wrong. Why are you holding my hand?_

"Neji I love you." Gaara said, pulling Neji into a tight embrace, the words fleeing from his lips for the first time.

The heat of the other's body touching his own so closley gave Gaara every reminder he would ever need.  
"I'm so, so sorry..."

Neji was frozen for a moment, frozen in time. Then, as he heard those words, the only words he had every wanted to here in his whole life, he shut his eyes tightly and let the soft, warm tears flow silently down his reddened cheeks.

"I promise, I promise I'll never touch another drop of the stuff." Gaara mumbled. "Your my love."

"Oh Gaara..." Neji whispered and clutched the sides of the Sand Nin's coat like it was the last time he would ever see his lover again.

"Don't cry, Baby. Don't cry. I'm here with you, remember? I'll be with you forever."

Time passed and Neji released the hold on the red-haird boy and stared deeply into the emrald pools of his thoughtful, warm eyes. Gaara's hands rested on his hips, Neji's hands still around his neck.

"Wanna know what happened to me this weekened?"

Neji sniffled. "Sure..."

"Naruto came over and...well...kinda kissed me." A broad, jovial, almost laughing grin swept across Neji's tear-stained face and then he hugged Gaara again, like he would never let go again.

* * *

"HOLY FUCKING SHIT MOTHER OF..." Sasuke's tried to cover himself with a pillow but flopped back on the carpet with fatigue. "NARUTO WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!" The boy fumed.

"I came to say..." It was embarrasing trying to make up with a guy when they just had sex with somone eles. He quickly changed the subject.

"...do I want to know how many times you did it with him!?!" Naruto hissed, his eyes flashing. "I should of hit that fucking bastard into the wall...how many times, 2 or 3!?!?"

"Uhh...nee...Four..."

"Oh my fucking god! How could you do this!"

"Naruto, we're sepperated! I'm S-I-N-G-L-E!" He snarled, wincing and whining as he tried to get up. "You don't have controll over me! I can go fuck with the Hokage and every guy in Konoha if I wanted to!"  
Naruto was silent. He was sure that Sasuke wouldn't be so, so harsh and so, so unloving.

"I came here to..." He mumbled, shoving aside his guilt and embarrassment. "To say I was sorry and that I loved you!"

He hissed, standing up and walking out the door, his brilliant blue shining with tears, eyes making Sasuke remember every moment; every sad tear, every kind wisper, every passionette kiss, and made him wonder as Naruto stormed out that night:

What the hell would he do now?

* * *

** Aw, wasn't that Gaara Neji thing soooooooooooooooo cute!?!??!?!?!??! I wanna do a Gaara Sasuke thing, but I don't know how I'm gunna break those to up again! Wahh, I'm torn between fangirlish craziness and GaaNeji cuteness...help? lol!**

**REVEIW!!!!!!!!! ****REVEIW!!!!!!****  
**

**Oh, and thanks to DancingDragonBlaze for giving me another idea for the sequel to my other story _"Will Be Loved"!!!!!! _****That will be up ASAP when I get 3 more reveiws!**


	6. When we lost faith in everything above

**Okay, finally! ****Sorry for the wait!**

**READ AND REVEIW**

**-BankotsuChick (aka Bansu-chan)**

* * *

"Very nice, very nice, now can I get on with my work please!"  
"But isn't wonderful, Shikimaru?" Lee spun in the chair as Shikimaru grumbled, putting more flowers in a vase and on a neat little shelf.  
"There!" He said with a triumphant 'hmph!'. "All done at the Yakamana flower shop. Now what is it, Lee, that could be so important as to bother me..lets see..1, 2, 3,4,5,6...alot?" Shikimaru said, fumbling with the buttons on his apron.

"I'm getting maaaarrrried to Sakura!" He said jouyously.

"As if I havn't heard that enough. I don't think someone who still finds spinning on a wheely chair-" At this, Rock Lee stopped and blushed a little as Shikimaru dusted off his pants."...Is even mature enough to get married."

"Shikimaru!" Ino spun into the flower shop. Shikimaru caught her in a tight embrase. "Gotta go Lee. See you at the wedding."  
Lee nodded as the two lovers rushed out of the shop hand in hand, dimming the lights and leaving Lee all by himself.

He sighed, put on his coat and looked at the assorted roses. He sniffed a beautiful white rose with slightly wilted pettles and a tissue paper encassed stem. He fingered the thorny rose as it drew blood, creating a cherry blossom color. He dug into his pocket and thew a few bills onto the counter, grabbed the rose and rushed out into the pouring rain.

* * *

"Aw, you guys made up-"

"And fucked!"

"..._great_...but I'm still all alone."

"Don't feel bad, Sasuke." Neji said, putting a hand on his shoulder. Sasuke's teeth were still clentched from the moment Neji mentioned him and Gaara doing it and it was also incredibly akward to be even near Neji since that inncident. But why? Shouldn't he be happy?

"Do you not have to mention the sex? I could do without you talking about it twenty-four-senven."

"Sorry."

Neji mumbled, taking his hand off Sasuke's shoulder and smiling at Hinata who served him a hot Chai Tea. Hinata grinned back and smilied shyly at Sasuke before running off back to the kitchen. Sasuke always came here to think. Hinata's coffee shop, the smallest yet most popular place in Konoha because of the nice and friendly people there, was the place Sasuke came to think.

But the scowl the raven-haired boy was wearing these days, he should really go to a dungeon or some place where he could stare costumers to death in peace without people and ex-lovers bothering him. All the costomers were glancing his way, getting an extreme sharinghan death glare in return, and promptly leaving, fearing for their lives.

Sasuke sipped his coffee, drinking in the warm steam that rose up his face, caressing his pale skin...

_Like the kiss of a lover..._

Sasuke scowled, his head pounding. Nothing felt good anymore, there was a sickness that made him natious, but he couldn't throw up when he couldn't eat anything. He stopped sipping and immidiatly threw away the drink. Sasuke hated throwing up.

"Where the hell are you going, Sasuke?" Neji said, looking content in the warm air of the coffee shop.

"To get away from here." He snarled, rushing out the door with everyone looking after him as he ran out into the rain.

* * *

Sasuke's cell phone banged against his hip in his loose shorts and he finally stuffed the thing in his jacket.

Damn, he was getting so skinny...how could he possibly continue to be a ninja and protect his village if he couldn't even help himself.?

_**We held hands on the last night on earth.**_

Sasuke's face flushed when he entered the warm apartment, shutting the door quickly before pressing his back against it and sliding down to the floor.

Neji. Neji was with Gaara again. But Naruto wasn't with anybody.

_**Our mouths filled with dust, we kissed in the fields and under trees,**_

_**screaming like dogs, bleeding dark into the leaves.**_

Naruto wouldn't ever be with anyone eles. Sasuke knew the only person Naruto would ever with was him ever since their first kiss. And since their last.

_**It was empty on the edge of town but we knew everyone floated**_

_**along the bottom of the river.**_

_**So we walked through the waste where the road curved into the sea**_

_**and the shattered seasons lay, and the bitter smell of burning was on you like a disease.**_

He sighed, and decided, though he had waited so long to do it, that he should delete every pciture of Naruto from his phone. He took it out of his pocket and flipped it open, instantly changing the backround, witch had been a picture of Naruto with his arm around Sasuke.

_**In our cancer of passion you said,**_

_**"Death is a midnight runner."**_

It wasn't fair. Why could Gaara be happy? Why was Neji happy? Why was Kakashi and Iruka and Hinata and Kiba all happy? Were they really happy at all, or was Sasuke just so miserable?

_**The sky had come crashing down like the news of an intimate suicide.**_

_**We picked up the shards and formed them into shapes**_

_**of stars that wore like an antique wedding dress.**_

"Stop thinking about him, Sasuke." The Uchiha sighed, putting his head in his forehead. "He's like a drug."

It was true.

_**The echoes of the past broke the hearts of the unborn**_

_**as the ferris wheel silently slowed to a stop.**_

_**The few insects skittered away in hopes of a better pastime.**_

_**I kissed you at the apex of the maelstrom and asked**_

_**if you would accompany me in a quick fall,**_

_**but you made me realize that my ticket wasn't good for two.**_

_**I rode alone.**_

_**You said, **_

_**"The cinders are falling like snow."**_

But Sasuke couldn't help it. He was addicted.

_**There is poetry in despair, and we sang with unrivaled beauty,**_

_**bitter elegies of savagery and eloquence.**_

_**Of blue and grey.**_

_**Strange, we ran down** **desperate streets and carved our names in the flesh of the city.**_

_**The sun was stagnated somewhere beyond the rim of the horizon**_

_**and the darkness is a mystery of curves and lines.**_

_**Still, we lay under the emptiness and drifted slowly outward,**_

_**and somewhere in the wilderness we found salvation scratched**_

_**into the earth like a message.**_

Naruto was the kind of drug that made Sasuke feel he would die without him.

* * *

Naruto ran into Hinata's coffee shop, panting and soaking wet.

"Was Sasuke just in here?"

Everybody stared at the boy, Naruto becoming increasingly impationed.  
"Was he in here or not!"  
"Was he the short guy with black hair and scary eyes?" Naruto rolled his eyes as a costomer drinking a coffee.

_That's Sasuke-kun alright._

"He r-ran outside just a minute ago, Naruto-dono."

Naruto wanted to say thanks, but there wasn't enough time. He rushed out the door without another word.

* * *

"Hey, Sasuke."

Sasuke stopped, the wind burning his skin and making his pale face flush. He had decided to take a walk, but apparently there was no place, no place in the world just for Sasuke.

Kakashi watched the way his hair, longer than it usually was, tusseled behind him. The way his voice gave away what he was feeling.

The way his shimmering eyes filled with tears when someone broke his heart.

It was awful, but beautiful to see at the same time.

_A still frame standing on broken glass_

"What the fuck do you want!"

Sasuke fumed, whirling around to face the silver-haired man. His eyes were wide and blazing red with sharinghan. Kakashi was laughing inside.

"You look upset."  
"Leave me alone..."

"But...You're always upset.

"So?"  
"It's not healthy."

"Since when do you care?"  
"Since I love you, dammit!

* * *

**Teehee, poor Sasuke. He likes Neji? Or is it Naruto? Haha Kakashi slipped up. What's Sasuke gunna say?**

**-BansuChan**


	7. He knew when he was sitting alone

**_Tehee..._this chapter is mostly a filler...lol**. **Next chappie's gunna be the biggie!!!! STAY POSTED AND MAKE SURE YOU REVEIW!**

**-BankotsuChick**

_

* * *

_

_I closed my eyes and he slipped away..._

_I hide in my work and forget the day_

_I lay in bed and dream of a boy..._

_I closed my eyes and he slipped away..._

Naruto sighed, breathing in deeply. He had just missed Sasuke. Maby it was a waste of time, he thought, crossing his legs and sighing. Maby Sasuke would reject him and turn his pretty little nose skyward at him. Naruto, then, would feel the tears flooding to his eyes and stand in the darkness as Sasuke walked off.

But he would be suprised the next time he would see or talk about Sasuke. He would be very, very suprised indeed.

* * *

"Oh, Kaka-sama! I love you too! Let's make passionette love and be togather for ever and ever!"

"Yes, oh Sasuke, my dearest, my love! Let's!"  
"Hahaha! He really said that?" Iruka said, sipping a hot tea and cocking an eyebrow. "It dosn't sound like Sasuke."

Kakashi hated how Iruka was so literal.

"Of course he didn't, dumbass." He growled, feeling heat rise to his forehead, making the hangover he had even worse. After seeing Sasuke, all he did was drink until Iruka picked him up and he spent the night over.

-FLASHBACK-

Sasuke had held his breath for a long time, letting the steaming words hang in the air. Kakashi loved him?

"I-I ment, I love you...like a brother! And I'm worried about you! Yeah! Thats right!"

Sasuke sighed. Why wouldn't Kakashi be honest with him!

"Oh, that's too bad." Sasuke said, an idea coming to mind. He let his shoulders untence and gave a sly smirk, coming up to Kakashi and cornering him. "Because I like you, Hitake."

The taller man's face blushed seven shades of red. Sasuk slid a hand around his neck, lips so close...waiting to be claimed... Kakashi couldn't resist. He tilted his head and leaned in slowly...Kakashi knew somwhere in his heart it was a creul ploy, but when there was any hope at all that Sasuke returned his love, just the tiniestt flicker, he couldn't resist. Kakashi was so close that Sasuke could feel his breath on his facejust slow enough for Sasuke to pull away. His hands were balled into a fist, his eyes blazing Sharinghan.

"Told you, you lier!" Kakashi was struck. How could be be so stupid! "You can't just be honest!?"  
"Why would it matter!" Kakashi hissed, turning away. "Your in love with Naruto!"

He headed fully spead away from Sasuke, while the Uchiha yelled at the top of his lungs:

"I don't love Naruto!"

That was just loud enough for somebody, _somebody_, to hear him.

-ENDFALSHBACK-

* * *

"...h-hi mother..." Sakura swallowed and managed the slightest two-word phrase. Her placid father gave her a small hug before leaving the room. But her mother was already in her closet. Ino stepped back and crossed her arms with a huff.

"I'm going back to Shikamaru, I'm sure he-"  
"But Ino you have to stay!"  
It was too late. Ino had left as soon as Sakura had butted in. Sakura sighed. She really didn't blame her.

"Oh, Sakura, you can't have these!" Her mother yelped, glaring at the bridesmaid dresses with some kind of scorn.

"They just won't do! You should have _asked my _opinion, dear!"

_Strike one._

Lee walked into the room cautiously and stole a quick kiss from Sakura behind her mother's back.

"...Lee..." She growled, as she turned around. "I presume your not ready either? The wedding is tomorrow, and you havn't done _anything right..."  
Strike two..._

"...M-mrs. Haruno...you look lovley." She nodded. "Of course. Now Sakura, go fetch me your father. We need to properly propare this wedding..."  
_Two and a Half..._

"Kami knows Sakua and Lee can't.."

"THREE!" Sakura howled. Everyone in the room, including her father who had just walked in stared at her. "Your alwayd butting in to _my _life! Just leave us ALONE!"

* * *

"I came because, I told you, you're having issues with my rebound guy. That's it. We are-under no terms-friends. At all. Got it?"

Naruto rolled his eyes. Rebound guy was suppose to be kinda cute, but it was getting fucking annoying.

"Yeah, man, you said it like a million times. How could I not get it?"  
Neji gave a curt nod.

"Okay then. So what-specifically-do you need help with?"

"Sasuke. Sasuke in genral."

Neji growled and balled his hands into a fist, then calmed.

"Your so vauge. Don't you know what specific means?"  
"...No."

Now he was just being rediculous.

"Okay, well, fine! If you don't want my help, I just leave!"

Naruto sucked in his pride and grasped the dramma queen's arm.

"Sit. Stay."

"I'm not a dog, Naruto." Neji hissed, and quickly before Naruto made a comment, added, "And I'm not joking."

"Hmph. Your no fun."

"So?"

There was a pause.

"So like a said, If you don't want my help-"

"NEJI."

Neji smirked and bit into a muffin. He was enjoying the fact that he was eating one of his favorites in one of his favorite places with one of his favorite-though he would never admit it- friends, and meeting his favorite boyfriend in a hour. Hell, he enojoyed life.

"Why don't you just talk to him or somthing? He's gotta listen sometime. Your always right there near him."

Naruto shook his head.

"I'm not a fucking idiot, Neji. Don't you think I've tried little things like that?"

"No."

"Not funny. And this isn't my problem. If Sasuke dosn't love you, why don't you just-"

"How do you know that he dosn't love me?" Naruto growled. Neji, who had began to get up and leave again, sat back down. _So he dose love that Uchiha idiot. Alot. Hmph._

"Why did you ask me in the first place, Naru-chan?"

Naruto's eye brows knitted at he thought for a moment.  
"You're like a vetran in these types of things. I figured you'd know the most and I'd be able to trust you."

"Try a compliment."

"A compliment you say?"

"Yeah, say..." Neji looked up and thought for a moment. "Somthing about his eyes. Say there pretty, like daimonds. Gaara always said that to me and it makes me feel...well...nice."

"Diamonds? Get real. Your eyes may be like that, but Sasuke's are black. Might as well say coal...or somthing evil."

Neji sighed. This was pathetic. Hopefully Gaara wasn't like this behind his back. No. Gaara and Naruto? He had to laugh. There was no compitition. He almost felt bad for Sasuke. But Naruto was okay. Cute, romantic, nice, funny...but Gaara was that, minus the funny and nice and add smart, times a million. He had to laugh again.

"How do you know that me and won't Gaara get drunk and laugh about this later?"

"I don't."

There was a pause, so long that Naruto was pretty sure he was never going to get help. Ever.

He'd be trapped.

The Uchiha was sleeping with everyone, getting drunk, getting caffine-high when he spent so much time at the coffee shop and it worried Naruto. Sasuke was the kind of person who could destroy himself and everyone in his path and not flinch at the thought. That was going to happen. If Sasuke was wanted it enough, he'd die one day. He wouln't care either, because everybody knows Sasuke has nobody and nothing to live for anymore.

Neji's voice snapped him back to reality.

"...I can help you, Naruto. Me and Gaara both. But have you concidered...the cost?"

Naruto scoffed.  
"I make fucking loads now and you know it. Money isn't really a issue."  
Neji licked the last traces of a blueberry muffin from his lips and chewed on a fingernail.

"Perhaps...but have you concidered..." He said, getting up and leaving Naruto behing, the Uzimaiki's eyes glittering. "The cost?"

* * *

"Have I ever told you your eyes were like little diamonds?"  
Sasuke snarled and looked up from the book he was reading, witch was suprising, because Sasuke never read.

"What are you doing here, you bastard?"  
"I saw Neji. He said I should talk to you."

_Aw, Neji-teme. That bastard!_

But just thinking of Neji made his heart swell with butterflies. No, Sasuke Uchiha wouldn't squel like a school girl or a fangirl or any type of girl for that matter. Sasuke wouldn't get a jittery over a boy. Sasuke wouln't think of his life with Neji. Sasuke wouln't remember the love, the passion...the hot sex...

_Neji left him breathless..._

He shook his head. Never.

"What is there to talk about?" There was a pause. "My eyes?"  
"I guess."

"My eyes arn't like diamonds, Naruto. They are more like coal... somthing evil." Naruto smiled.  
"Nonsence." He said, sitting down and brushing the hair out of Sasuke's face. The Uchiha suprisingly let him. This was a mystery to both boys.

"Your eyes arn't evil. There very pretty."

"But diamonds, Naru? Diamonds?"

Naruto thought more about it.

"It's like those diamonds...that havn't been uncovered. Like the ones...that arn't quite coal..but their black. Like their waiting for somone to dig them up and find their beauty."  
"Naruto..." What was this feeling? The little jump that his heart did when he thought about him?

"Diamonds, eh?"

"Yeah...diamonds."

Sasuke sniffled. Their faces were close, too close. Their eyes were sparkling, too much, too.What was he doing? He picked up his coat, and his book and shot Naruto a little glance. Maby it was pleading, maby it was longing, but Sasuke tried to mask it as hate. It didn't work.

Naruto tried to grab his arm.

"D-did I ever tell you your eyes were like little diamonds?"

Sasuke growled and pulled his arm away.

"It takes pressure, Naruto, to make a diamond."

* * *

**Haha, I lurved the last part! Daimonds, lol...**

**-BankotsuChick **(**oh yeah, REVEIW!)**


	8. How can such love turn to wrath?

**-BankotsuChick**

**(REVEIW!)**

* * *

It had been five days, five days to long, in Kakashi's opinion, since he had slept with Sasuke.But he didn't miss the sex, though, well, he did, but not as much as he missed the person inside. He missed the beautiful boy who was Sasuke Uchiha.What had Kakashi done wrong? What had he done to deserve this loveless, torcherous, hearting ache of a life? What had he done?

* * *

Naruto watched the the fire crackle in the fireplace, the hot intencity of the flames lapping at the wood, gnarly and twisted, slowly decintigrating in the inferno. (Oh my...) He sighed, his eyes becoming heavy and his vision becoming blurry.

"Naruto?" He jummped to his feet. Was that...no, it could't be. Not Sasuke...Sasuke had left him for good after then. Naruto wouldn't be suprised if he never saw the boy again. But then he thought about it. How could he go on living? Not being able to see Sasuke? He'd surely die.

"Naruto are you there?" Naruto groaned and sunk deeper into his armchair.

"Yea-ah. I'm coming!" He hissed.

"Shesh your in a shitty mood, Naru-chan." It was Gaara. Gaara wasn't even the smallest of his concious thoughts at this point. No, Gaara was nothing at all. Not compared to Sasuke anyways. But who was?

"I came to tell you somthing, Naruto." Gaara mused, the firelight illuminating his handcome features, the glare of his emrald eyes dancing in the blaze. He gazed around the apartment.

"I can't say I don't like your new place. But seriously," He said, finishing his servaying of the area. "It's so dim and depressing I felt worse the second I stepped foot in here."

"Look who's talking." Was the immediate responce. "Since when do you get off saying that to people, when its you, Gaara?"

Gaara was silent, but there was a small sigh from the silloute, the slim shadow of the red-haired-nin.

"Before I say what I do, don't get the impression that I care about you. I don't care about anyone." Naruto smirked. "Sure. Shoot, Kaze."

Gaara dug his hands deeper into his pockets and shifted positions.

"Well, I don't want you to get your hopes up, about Sasuke I mean." He said, his cold stare unmoving, wisps of blood-red hair falling into his pale forehead.

"What the fuck are you saying?"

"I'm saying, don't get your hopes up."

"What?!"

"What am I saying? That's all! Do you need me to spell it for you?"  
"G-gaara..." Naruto's eyes were large and quivering. He knew, everybody knew. Including Naruto himself. But that didn't mean he couldn't change it, right? Right?

"Thanks...but how do you know?"

"I heard him say it." Gaara wispered and before Naruto said what again, he repeated it. "I heard him talking to Kakashi and he said it."

"...shit."

"Tell me about it."

"Really? Can I?"  
"No."

There was a pause.

"Just don't get your hopes up, man."

* * *

"Please don't tell me your in love with me." Sasuke hissed when Gaara confronted him. "That happened already twice today." Gaara snorted. "Really, am I that blunt? How did you see through my desiguse?"

"Gaara, come on. I need you to tell me what you and Naruto talked about!"

Gaara was slightly stunned, but showed nothing. Sasuke had just stormed in, no notice.

"How did you know that, Uchiha?"

"Are you trying to act stupid?" Sasuke spat, shoving his hands in his pockets. Gaara's eye brows raised. "I'm only best friends with Neji!"

_Neji's_ _in trouble...tisk, tisk, tisk..._  
"Okay, sheesh!" Gaara blinked. "You tend to over-react, Uchiha."

"Stop calling me Uchiha! Everybody calls me that! I have a name you know, a NAME and it's Sasuke!" (1)

That Uchiha-ahem-Sasuke was starting to scare Gaara.

"Sasuke I don't think this is a good time for talking, you clearly have some...well, anger manegement issues that need to be delt with pronto."

"I...I...I'm not angry." Sasuke said. He was feeling upset now. Thanks to the damn Kaze."You think I'm c-craz-zy...Gaa-r-ra..."

"Sasuke, what's you problem?"  
"I don't feel well." He said. What was wrong with him? He was angry, upset, and now slightly natious. "I havn't been feeling well at all and your not helping. Will you just tell me so I can go home?"  
Sasuke looked terrible, Gaara reflected. His face was flushed, then pale, except for his cheeks witch were rose-red. He looked awfully thin and he needed to do somthing with his hair. Honestly, if Sasuke dropped dead at this very moment, Gaara wouldn't be terribly suprised. But Sasuke's pride wouldn't allow him to drop dead, especially infront of a rival.

"Please...Gaara..."

Sasuke was pleading...what?

"Sasuke are you okay...?"  
"Goddammit, Gaara. Just tell me so I can-"

"Sasuke!"

* * *

"...thanks for holding my hair when I threw up, Gaara." (2)

Gaara flashed a disturbed yet compassionette smile. This was slightly odd.

"I was just steering you away from my Sports Illistrated, is all." Sasuke grinned one of his rare, rare grins. "Sure." Gaara made him smile. Hmph. Sasuke's smile seemed to catch Gaara off gaurd and he found himself staring at the Uchiha, the beautiful, sexy Uchiha.

_Stop it._

_He's not yours. _

_You have Neji._

Sauske was still shaking, and it worried Gaara. Why, though? Why would it? Damn, Neji made him soft.

At the moment, Sasuke was still figiting with his fingers, a hot blush trailing his face. He was about to get up and leave, but he felt dizy.

"You look like you havn't eaten in days."

"No shit, genius."

"...pleasent. But why are you practically starving yourself?"

"I'm not sucisidal. If I eat somthing I throw up. So I don't eat anything until I feel better."

"Your not as smart as people think you are...Uch-...Sasuke." Sasuke didn't say anything at all. "You should eat somthing."

"...no. I had a muffin this morning at it didn't turn out to well."

"Well that was a muffin. How about some ramen?"

"No."

"Yes."  
"No."

"Yes."

"No!"

Gaara dissapeared for a few moments and appeared again after a minute with a cup that spewed steam from the lid that was docked slightly to the side.

"So all of a sudden you care about me?"

"No, but when I tell _most people_ to do somthing so they don't _die_ and I get blamed, I expect them to do it!"

"Your not as smart as people think you are, Gaara. Havn't you noticed yet that I'm not like most people?"  
There was a pause.

_Can't you see I care about you? _(3)

"Eat it."  
"No."

_Can't you see I like you, teme?_

"Yes."

"Make me!"

_...Can't you see I..._

Sasuke, who had regretted his choice of words at that moment, watched Gaara run his hand through his flawless red hair, muscels rippeling uder his tight shirt.

"Fine. Don't eat it. Starve because you think your helping yourself. Go ahead. I won't _care_ at _all_."

Sasuke felt slightly terrible as Gaara continued running his hand through his hair, rythmically.

"I'll eat it." Gaara turned. "Really?"  
"...no."

"Dammit, Sasuke, eat it!"

"Gaara?"  
Gaara felt a pang in his heart and his mind leap like he was caught red-handed. But why would he be worried. Why? It was Sasuke, and he wasn't doing anything wrong at all...or was he?

"Oh hello, Neji-chan." He said, oh-so-suave, though he didn't look it at all.

Neji walked into the room, still fidleing with his car keys. His eye brows furrowed as he observed the scene.

"Uh...Um...should I be worried?" He said. "I sure hope not."

Ramen was spilled over Sasuke's shirt, making it cling to his slim figure. Peices of beef were stuck to Gaara's perfect red hair, the broth and steam making his raccoon eye-shadow run down his face as if he were crying. But Gaara never cried. However, he _was_ shoving Sasuke, lying over him, when the Uchiha was clearly less-strong and built, against a leather couch forcing ramen into his mouth while Sasuke fought back, both arms over Gaara's biceps. A carrot was placed procariously opon Sasuke's perfect little nose.

Gaara seemed to forget Neji was even there. He could make out Sasuke's warm, cinnimon and sugar scent, like spicy and sweet, even through the thick ramen-smell. Sasuke's beautiful face, below him, drenched in beef-broth and contorted in a competitive snarl. The carrot...he could lean down and take it with his own mouth, then his toung could lap the broth and trail to his lips...

He only got as far as the carrot.

"Neji!"

Sasuke spat, though it was really a reprimand for Gaara's outrageous actions.  
"...H-hi Sasuke, what are you doing here?" Neji said, his voice quavering. Sasuke pushed Gaara off of him and brushed his shorts off. "I came to ask Gaara somthing."

"Oh."

"...yeah..."  
"Why is there ramen on my couch?"  
"Oh sorry. It's mostly Gaara's fault, you see-"  
"It's fine, It's fine." Neji said, his tone unmoving. "Now Sasuke I have to tell Gaara somthing. Will you please excuse us?"  
Sasuke was slightly still shocked and blushing, but now he was confused over Neji.

Neji who didn't care what Sasuke heard because he was Sasuke's best friend. Neji who was telling him to leave...Neji, the boy he secretly, passionettely and unrequitedly loved.

"...y-yeah. See you, Neji." He stuck his tounge out a Gaara and quickly picked up his coat as Neji flashed him a cute I-think-I-might-hate-you-but-I'm-still-going-to-fake-it smile, scaring Sasuke as he rushed out the door.

The raven-haired Uchiha winced as he lept into the elvator, a ear-splitting smack reaching his ears.

As soon as Sasuke had left, Neji swung around and slapped Gaara square on the cheek, making the red-haired Kazekage stumble backwards.

"What the fuck was that, teme?"

Gaara was shocked. Quite little Neji who would sit alone until someone came to sit with him. Quite little Neji who liked sunsets and snuggling up with his lover until he felt safe. Quite little Neji just slapped him. But truthfully, Gaara knew why Neji was upset and why he hit him. He was just too scared of it to think. He was so close to kissing Sasuke it made his head spin.

_Why and when did I start caring about people?_

Why would he do it? Why? He loved Neji enough, didn't he? Sasuke was his rival, wasn't he? Was it that little smile, that cute, little smile that sent chills up his spine? But then he looked at Neji, his eyes blazing Bayakughan (Phewf, hard to spell!) and he felt the hurt that he had caused the man he used to call his love.

"Answer me, Gaara. How could you do-"

"-that with Sasuke?" Neji blinked, confused.

"Gaara, I-"

"-thought I loved you?"

"Teme, why-"  
"-would I betray you?'

"Hmph." Neji sighed, defeat laying dull in his pearl eyes. "You know me too well. I just wish you loved me as much." That did it.

Gaara's eyes twinkled, taking Neji's head and tilting it up twards until their lips met.Neji was cold, until the relization hit him. Gaara loved him. Gaara would always love him. But, he thought as he smirked, Gaara was becoming softer and kinder. It wasn't to worry. And he would be dammed if he let _Sasuke_ get in the way. There were still stains of the eye shadow that was thick around the Kaze's eyes that trailed down his face like tears, but not tears of sadness. Tears of love.

"Nn...nn...G-gaara I love you!" Neji blurted, gasping from the kiss that drew every breath from his lungs. Neji was crying now, tears running down his face. Why? Why was he crying? Was it because he was only that much closer to losing him every day? Was it because every day was merley a moment he would never get back?

Th exilleration of the heated frenzy had Neji's heart beating out of his chest; as the lips felt eachother, embrassed eachother, as the hands entwined in eachother that they were hungry deamons that lusted for eachother. The moolight harbord in Neji's eyes, the hellish night in Gaara's; intoxicating, indirect, in love. There was a pause when the seemingly nusence of clothing were removed, both smooth, toned chests pressed togather, huffs of hot breath the only air as their noses bumped togather, a smile playing across Neji's lips, and Gaara could feel it; their lips matched like pieces to a puzzle.

"You love me." He said, his eyes closing, as if drinking in Gaara's scent, the warm, masculen odor that awoke his scences. "You love me..."

Fingers in his hair, thumbs hooking the rim of his shorts, the sweat, the guilt, fear, redemtion, pain, driven, wanted, needed, whinning, pleaded, asking, giving, receiving...

Gaara-sama, incontrol, powerful Gaara-sama, allowed their eyes lock for a moment, powerful emotions clashing in a heated wave of firey passion. Hundreds of erotic movements into one, all the feeling, all the hurt, all the rejection and acceptence, into one. The caress of a tounge dancing a frantic dance inside the mouth of the Hyuuga, the tears, the black ones and the white ones, the pure ones, the kind ones, the harsh ones, the evil, the good, Neji and Gaara.

"You love me..."  
But since Sasuke had left, Neji would never again be sure. (4)

* * *

"So you're jelous. Jelous they probably now having sex and your just a sick, loney guy who's tripple-timing all his friends, having nothing and no-one to come home to each day and will probably die alone?"  
"...that was nice. I came to tell you because I trust you. Not so you could make fun of me, Umino."

"Yes, but that's always entertaining." He chuckled, observing Sasuke's angered expression and fear that those words may just end up speaking the truth. "Oh come on, Sasuke. You know I was keeeedding."

"...yeah."

"Wanna let me read you your horoscope? It might make you feel more...chipper!" Iruka said, picking up the newspaper before Sauske could object.

"Here we go...Mr. Cancer, I see. It says...blah, blah, blah..." He sqinted. "That your love will be found in Scorpio."

"I don't know any Scorpio's." Sasuke said, clutching his forehead. He had a massive headache that only seemed to get worse by the second.

"You don't look to well, guy. Wanna go see a doctor?" Iruka said, looking genrally concerned. "...you look like your about to keel over." Sasuke sighed.

"Already have." He lied. "Said it's just a simple cold and I'll be over it soon."  
"You sure?"

"Yeah..."

There was a pause.

"I think you should go see Naruto."  
Sasuke's face reddened and he glared at Iruka, barley able to contain his rage. But why, he thought, would he still hate Naruto so, so much when he could remember clearly loving him? Neji sprung to his mind as soon he thought of the word love.  
"No!" He seethed. "I don't want to see him! We're never getting back togather! I don't even like him!"

"Why, Sasuke-kun! He likes you, he _loves_ you, and he misses you more than you'll ever know!"

"...I don't like him Iruka! I swear!"

"...beacause..." Iruka said, detaily studding the sings of his beautiful facial fetures. "You love someone eles."

Sasuke's face turned seven shades of red.

"No I don't!"

Iruka smiled.

"Sa-as-uke's got squish on someone!"  
"...sqish?"  
"You like a guy, don't you?" At this moment, Sasuke stood up, not wanting to deal with this. Iruka called after him, saying he was sorry, but Sasuke didn't care to stop. "It dosn't matter." He said as he left. "He dosn't love me anyway.

_He dosn't love me._

That's when Sasuke decided where he was going now. He was going to see Naruto.

He was going to see...Naruto...

"Is he gone yet?"  
"Your pathetic, Kakashi."

Kakashi stretched and adjusted his mask, complaining as he crawled out of the hall closet.

"I just don't wanna see him, Iruka. Sasuke _hates_ me. And it's not a big help that your constantly trying to get him back togather with Naruto. I thought your suppose to be my friend!"  
"I am, Hitake. You know their made for eachother. I don't want to get your hopes up for nothing."

Kakashi sighed. "Then clearly there's no-one for me. I'm the one who's gunna be dying alone, not Sasuke."

Iruka's eyes twinkled and he picked up the news paper lying on the table and pointed to the Horiscope.

"Virgo." He said. "Your love life is questionable at best. Your quite clueless and are chasing after one person-" At this he stuck his tounge out a Kakashi who never believed in these things. "-when the love of your life is standing right infront of you all the time. Take the time to notice them, Mr. Virgo, before they slip away."

"How corny is that!" Kakashi scowled. "Horiscopes, jeez." He turned and stared at Iruka, standing before him.

His eyes widened.

Iruka!

* * *

There was a boy, two of them to be exact, sitting down in Konoha Park, on the edge of the foutain, wallowing in thier own self-pity. One was alone, the other sure he would always be alone, and both were silent for what seemed like an eternity. They knew who eachother were, they knew who everyone was in the quaint city of Konohagurea, but they refused to believe that each were there like they were the only ones.

_"Your love lies in a...Scorpio..."_

_"I don't know any Scorpios, Iruka-san." _But he did. Iruka had known he was lying, too. If only Sasuke believed his lie as much as he wished it was true.

"I've bet a guy like you has been on alota dates since...had alota sex...am I right?" There was no point in hiding the fact.

"...I guess..."

The taller, blonde boy sighed. "...some guy at the pharmacy who was like...fifty...asked how much it costs to do you." The raven haired grimmanced. "It's dangerous, I'm telling you, to be known as Konoha's little slut."

"...I know...but I'm not..."

"I know...I just..."

"Been on some dates?" The blonded mumbled, switching the subject. "Lucky. I've given up." The boy said beside him, the one with the sunny-colored hair and the cerulean eyes. "I've given up on this whole thing, love and such."  
Why? He said.

It's complicated, He said.

Tell me about it, He said.

I'd rather not, He said.

"Two people told me they loved me today." The raven haired mumbled, brushing the hair from his face.

"...and...two tried to kiss me."

Naruto stiffled a laugh. "Sounds like you." The blonde sighed. "I've sat in bed, watched T.V and eaten pounds of junk." Sasuke chuckled. "Sounds like you."

There was a pause and the two noticed during that time that from the second they saw eachother, they were always instantly attracted. Sasuke would try and fight it. Naruto would try and fight it. But it would never work.

Sasuke would think he's in love. Naruto would think he's in love. But in the end, they would always love eachother.

"Say, crazy thing. What are you doing Saturday night?"

Naruto said quietly like he knew he was going to be rejcted.

"I thougth you didn't date anymore. I thought you gave up."

"...okay then, how about a non-date?" Sasuke grinned, finding it astounding that he could still make him smile nowadays.

"...how about a non-no?" (5)

* * *

They smiled and headed off in the opposite directions, both smiling, both not feeling quite as alone as they had when they had woken up, both excited for the Saturday night date. Or non-date.

* * *

"Naruto, I c-can't make it." He said, his voice heavy. "I'm sick."

"...you sound _terrible_, Sasuke! Want me to come over? I can bring like, soup or ramen or somthing! I can take you to the doctor, I ca-"  
"Naruto, p-please. I-I'm f-fine. I j-just don't feel well..."

"Did you see a doctor already?"  
"...yes."  
"Lier." Sasuke grimmanced; Naruto knew him more than he knew himself. "I'm coming over right now!"

"No your no-ot, Naruto!" Sasuke knew that Naruto, if the raven haired boy begged enough, that he would keep his distance even if he concerned him. The two boys' relationship were still on thin ice and the Uchiha was the puppeteer.

"Naruto." Sasuke said in his sharp tone, trying to control the shaking in his voice. "I don't want you to come over. End of story."  
"Sasuke." Naruto said, mimiking his tone. "I care about you, I love-"  
"Dammit, I'm fine!" There was no responce. "Naruto. Naruto! Naruto?" A dial tone filled his ears.

Sasuke cursed, thought a breif moment about how he would kill the blonde, then called Neji.

* * *

"What have I done, what have I done!" Sakura whispered, a week before her wedding. Ino chuckled, kicked her feet back on a chair and bit into an apple.

"It was quite irrational if I do say so myself."

"Your not helping!" The pink haired girl hissed, crossing her arms in dissapointment. "What would want me to do you do if your parents didn't plan on comming to your wedding? In a week, I might add!"

"I would want you to say out of my buisness."

"Once again, not helping, Miss Yakamana." Sakura sighed, skipping her lunch break to continue filling the medical records. "Is that suppose to mean somthing, Ino?"  
"No."

"Good." The blonde girl sighed.

"Shouldn't you be wedding planning, not working?"

"I can't...I need the cash. And Lee's taking care of that, he insists. I swear, if he wasn't marrying me, I'd sat h was gay!"  
"That's one too many in this town." Ino snorted. All the guys, all the hottest ones in her opion ended up gay anyway. Sakura was silent, fishing through her files.

"...Ino...?"  
"Yeah?"  
"I'm scared. Really, really, scared."

* * *

_"_What the fuck do _you_ want, _Uchiha." _Sasuke was slightly stunned at Neji's attitude. He couldn't still be angry...could he? It really wasn't Sasuke's fault, it was Gaara's, if anyone's.

"Neji, what's gotten into you?" He growled into the receiver. "We _always_ call eachother when we have problems. It's our oath as best friends."(6)

"That was before you tried to get it on with my boyfriend, in _my_ apartment." (7)

"Shut the fuck up. I called to ask you somthing."

"What, then, Uchiha Ice Princess."

Sasuke despised with all the fiery passion in his heart that nick name. Neji knew it, Neji never called him it.

"Please, Neji. Are we still friends?"

"Once again you seemed to have forgotten the fact that you almost made out with my boyfriend, Sasuke."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "...and Sasuke, please, take this seriously. Don't roll your eyes."

"See? See? You can always tell what I'm thinking."

_That's why I thought we were ment for eachother._

_Maby more than just friends..._

"Ever think I used Bayakughan, Sasuke? Ever use your head?" Sasuke had never felt so crushed. He felt like he was choking on his own air and that all his memories of being with Neji were coming crashing down on him.

"Neji..." Sasuke swallowed, finding his sadness turning toxically into rage. ""N-"

"Are you just going to stutter and say my name over and over or are you going to actually make a point, Uchiha Uchiha?"  
Neji hadn't called him 'Uchiha', 'The Uchiha' or 'The Uchiha Ice Princess' since they were rivals.

That was strike three in his book.

"Neji you know me!" He yelped, somewhat like the sound of a wounded animal. He knew he soujnded pathectic, he knew it all too well, but he didn't care. This was Neji, Neji his best friend. He couldn't let that down now, could he?

"Sasuke, you tried to take the best thing in my life away from me. That was Gaara."  
"I thought you were the genius of the Hyuuga clan." Sasuke snarled. "Apparently _not_."

"What are you saying..."

"What do you think I'm saying, Neji!" He hissed. He knew what Neji was feeling, what he was thinking, but he didn't care.

"You know I wouldn't take Gaara away from you, ever!" Sasuke took a moment to breathe. Knowing the stubborness of the Huuga, Sasuke sighed. "I'm sorry. I'm really and truthfully, honestly and for-surley sorry...Neji?"

Silence.

"Neji?"  
Silence. The Hyuuga had hung up.

* * *

"Say, Iruka?" Naruto sighed, as he knocked on the door. "C'mere a moment." He heard some clanging of Kami knows what and sudenly the cheery face of his long-time friend and former sensei appaerend in the doorway.

"Yep, what do ya need, Naru-chan." Kakashi was there as well, yawning and streching in his usualy bord attitude

"Do you know how to make soup? Any kind?"  
"Naruto, out of all people, I would except you to know how to make a bowl of ramen."

"Not ramen. I don't want instant ramen." There was a expression of mock horror from Kakashi who was mouthing the word 'Oh no!' Iruka rolled his eyes and looked at Naruto.

"Seriously. What's this about?"

"Sasuke's sick and he refuses to go see a doctor"

"Damn that Sasuke, he lied to me!" Iruka growled.

"Huh?"

"Nevermind, nevermind! Go on, Naru!"

"Well, Sasuke's sick and we all know I can't cook.""

"True."  
"Nobody asked you Kaka-chan!" Kakashi stuck his tounge out but Iruka shoed him away. "...and I...I kinda...well..._almost_ made up with Sasuke."

"YAY! I'm SO HAPPY FOR YOU!" Iruka howled joyouly. Naruto sighed; Kakashi grimmanced.

"Yeah, yeah, very nice and such, but can you help me _please_, Iruka-_sama_?"  
"Sure, sure, but Sasuke is so willing to allow you to help him, ne?"  
"...yes...he is."

"..._cough-cough-lier-cough-cough..."_

"Kakashi!"

"Ignor him. He's in a bad mood."

"A.K.A normal?" Iruka chuckled and ushered to Naruto to come in.

* * *

"I just called Sasuke the three names he can't stand, including Uchha Ice Princess, yelled at him, accused you of cheating with him and then hung up. Dose that make me a bad friend?"

"No." Gaara mumbled as he flipped through the crisp white pages of a new book. "Not at all." (8)

Neji knew he was being sarcastic. What he had done was terrible and he knew it. But he couldn't deal.

He studdied Gaara's expressing, eye brow knitted over the novel.

"Gaara you know somthing that I don't and yor not telling me. What is it?" Gaara sighed with annoyence as put down his novel, witch was strange because Gaara rarley found time to read, and looked at Neji.

"You meen you havn't picked it up?"  
"Picked what up, Gaara-sama?" Gaara chuckled when he heard Neji use 'sama'.

"You shouldn't allow your self to be topped so easily, Neji...and not in the literal sence."

Neji nodded, but then crossed his arms.

"Your avoiding the subject. Tell me."  
"How do you know there is somthing to tell at all."  
"It's me." Gaara was silent.

"Havn't you knoticed Sasuke?"

"Gaara your wrong..."  
"But I'm not. Sasuke's in love with you."

Neji was quite, his eyes wide. "Sasuke, in love with _me_?"

"Oh don't be so modest, Hyuuga." Gaara mumbled. "Your fucking gorgeous."

"I know..." He said, ignoring all modesty and enjoying the fact that Gaara complimented him. "But worthy of Sasuke gorgeous? I meen he is an Uchiha, famous for not only his strenth but his undeniable hottness."

"Neji...don't go dumping me for Sasuke, okay?"

"I know it. Aw jeeze, akward. Your sure he likes me?"

"Maby not after what you said, Neji."

"Oh shit." (9)

"You want him to like you?"  
"No...it's not that...I meen, I love you, Gaara, don't get me wrong, but now...now...I feel so bad..."  
"Koishii, you've got a good heart. A good heart."

"Thanks, Gaara-teme." Neji said, grabbing his car keys. Gaara locked eyes, emrald with opal, harsh with kind, Gaara with Neji.

"Babe, I never said that was a good thing."

* * *

**About that poem-ish thing in there...it may have been from somthing, i don't really know. I have this practically photographic memory and i memorize things like books and _might _have added somthings without noticing because it dose sound very firmilliar (sp?)! That came across me last night and i just wanted to put that out there! Sorry!**

**Here are those notes! And by the way, don't forget to reveiw! Reveiws are very important! They make me happy!**

**-BankotsuChick**

**(1). Sasuke's sick...**

**(2). Okay, Sasuke's really sick...**

**(3). Gaara's not in love with him...he's just confused...like everyone eles ( **

**(4). Neji is obviously unsure of himself and his hottness and he's insucure**

**(5). Sasuke's pretty much given up on Neji. It's pretty sad, but true. So he's giving Naruto a chance! Yay!**

**(6). Yes, yes, and yes. They're BFFS (0r were...)**

**(7). WOW he's REALLY jelous...**

**(8). Haha, Gaara's reading! I wonder what...hmmm...give some suggestions...**

**(9). Neji's confused all over. He's mostly shocked and feels pretty bad**

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	9. Someone's been put on hold

**Hi, this chapter is kinda weird, but they all are, really! Oh yes, this gives some big hints...nudgewinknudgewink but not tooooooo biggg...anyway, i wrote a new FF thats pretty interesting. PLEASE READ AND REVEIW "SAVE HIM FROM HIMSELF" Thanks**

**-BankotsuChick**

* * *

"I remember the first time he said 'I love you'." Naruto sighed as he stirred the noodles in the pot, the steam caressing his face. "He said, 'Naruto, I think I feel strongly positive in your general direction.'"

"Oh come on Naruto. I think we get it!" Kakashi scowled. "Who said he's not just giving you a chance because he feels sorry for you and he really loves a taller, kinder, better looking silver-haired jounin?"

"Kakashi...what's gotten into you?"  
"Don't even ask, Naruto." Iruka said, shooting peircing glares at Kakashi. "Shut up, bastard!"

"Iru-san..."

"It's nothing, nothing at all!"

* * *

There was a photo, crumpled, dark and faded lying in the drawer where Sasuke had discovered it.

Neji, it was him, as distictive and beautiful as ever with his arm around Sasuke.

He felt the nausia in his stomach as a dull pain, the pounding in his head a far distance away.

_"He cheated on me and I left him. Went and slept with a slut."_

_"I can tell by the way you cringe that you know this slut."_

_"...**you** know the slut. Everyone knows him."_

_"Ita-"_

_"Yeah." A painful smile stretched across his face. It hurt like hell inside and out but it was the truth. "But it's..o-okay, Neji. You mean more to me than he ever will..."_

What had changed? Gaara had happened but that was okay. Naruto. He had to go and blow it all to hell. Suddenly the room started spinning. Sasuke, trembling, dialed the person he didn't want to think of most.

The only person who could help him.

* * *

Sakura Haruno was stunned.

There he was, standing there infront of her, in a loose flanel pants that only rose to the base of his hips, a nightshirt falling of his shoulder. He was pale, quivering slightly and looking as if he hadn't eaten in days.

If he died right there and then, Sakura wouldn't be too suprised. But was more shocking was who was with him, holding his hand and brushing the hair from his face while the Uchiha scowled.

"S-s..." She knew he never came to these types of places because he didn't believe in them.

_"There just a ploy, a gimmic to get you to spend money. People who need them are weak. They don't really help...there fake, a myth."_

He has said, if hospitals were comparable to the lochness monster and bigfoot. _Get real, Uchiha. Bout time_. Somthing must really be wrong.

"S-sasuke?"

"...h-hey." He sounded strange, the ill, weak voice sounding foreing to her ears. This was Sasuke...right?

He swallowed. "I'm kinda sick."

"...no shit." She stuttered. "I've never seen you this way...before...Sasuke."

"No one has. He dosn't let people."

"Shut up, b-bastard!" Sasuke growled, bringing a slight, sad smile to her face.

_When, Sasuke-kun,_ She thought, _did your smile fade?_

Wounds were still fresh, yet the heartache was fresher.

_Did it happen that winter when everything changed? _

The boy only wanted to care for the other; he was sorry, he ment it, but peices of the fragile trust he had shattered were scattered and some were lost for good.

_Is that when you lost your hope, Sasuke, when you lost your love of life? _

She watched Sasuke glare at Naruto, the greenish-pale tinge to his face making a wave of worry wash over the blonde. Sasuke intencified his glare and turned his head the other way.

_Is this why you became so il?_

* * *

SEVEN HOURS LATER:

* * *

Someone, though they were not to be identified, slinked unnoticed into the labratory at KONOHA MEDICAL. Pulling a minila folder labled 'Uchiha, Sasuke' and placed it one the counter.

"Sir," A pink haired girl growled. "Your not allowed to be in here."  
The person smirked.

"I was just leaving.

Gaara wondered what had happened to Sasuke. He had called and called and called again yet he received no word of the Uchiha. _He was pretty sick... _Gaara thought, pulling on a jacket and taking up his keys.

"I'm going to see Sasuke!" He shouted, rushing out the door before Neji could even answer.

"It's past midnight," Ino mumbled, yawning and checking her watch. "I'll lock up, you go home."

"Thanks, Ino." Sakura said, slinging her bag over her shoulder and picking up her folders. "I'll go through this tonight."  
"Yeah, yeah. I'll put a file up file for Sasuke, kay?"

"Great. See you." A few seconds later, the door slammed shut. The blonde girl sighed and took a minila folder labeled 'Uchiha, Sasuke' with the blood test results. She smiled slightly as she rememberd over nine needles being thrust Sasuke's way and only one touching him. Nine more, they missed once again, finally getting Naruto to hold him down. Mothers had covered their children's ears once Sasuke had opened his mouth.

She yawned again and flipped over the paper, her cerulean eyes scanning the page. She stopped and traced line three with her finger.  
"What...the..." She said, blinking to make sure this wasn't her imagination. Did it really say that? "T-that's...not possible! Is this some kind of joke!" She was going to visit Tsunade in the morning. Ino was sure someone here was pulling her leg. Impossible...that was impossible...

"No, but it's all too real." A voice she heard as being familliar chimed from the lobby. Her heart raced.

"...all too real."  
Then, the lights flickered off and Ino was left alone in the darkness.

**

* * *

REVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIW**

**REVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIW**

**REVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIW**

**REVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIW**

**REVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIWREVEIW**

**yes i know im obsesssed, but i want 30-50 reveiws by the end of January! (50 woul d make me soooo happy!) come on people, its not THAT HARD!**

**oh yeah, DANCINGDRAGONBLAZE: did you get my PM? if not, email me ( **

**-BankotsuChick**


	10. When the boy refuses to pick up a phone

_There was somebody._

_Somone was calling to him. Someone was reaching out from the darkness with open arms._

_But surley, nobody loved him after what happened. Surley he was all alone after what he'd done._

**It's not my fault, Kami.  
Please stop giving me this dream.**

**I don't know when you'll forgive me...**

_But it wasn't a dream. There was a voice that pierce the terrifying, loniley darkness that seemed to _

_sprout at the pit of his soul._

_"Come back to me, Sasuke!"  
His own name rocketed back into his ears. _

_"I love you!"_

_It wasn't true. Nobody loved him anymore. No matter how much he they tried._

_"It's not your fault!"_

_But it was._

**Kami, I'm real now! I know what's true and what's not!**

_"I don't know you!" He yelped back, fighting the anger, fighting the endless frustration, but his own voice seemed meek, pitiful and afraid when it was lost in the void._

_"I don't know who you are!"_

_"Have you forgotten me already, Sasuke?"_

_He felt like running, running so far that nobody could catch him. Nobody would haunt his mind. What he thought_

_was precious and safe was open to everyone, even his own demons._

_He needed to get away._

_"Forgotten who!"  
He fought back tears that felt like they were coming out of nowhere. Why was he crying? Who was talking to him? He was scared. He was alone. Where was he? Where was the warm arms that comforted him when he was scared? But he should know better._

_He had gotten foolish._

_Nobody would ever love him for what he did._

_"It's me..."  
He looked up and felt no control over his own flesh. Tears like a river flowed down his cheeks. He didn't understand. Why was he crying? He tried to stop it, but it was blinding. He wanted to lay there and die._

_Nobody loved him anyway._

_He could barley see through the tears, the vicious tears that made him feel so hopeless. But then again, what was there to hope for? No, he couldn't see it. But he could feel it._

_"No...I thought you hated me."  
"You think the world hates you."_

_"They will if knew what I did."_

"GYAH!!!"

Sasuke shouted, rubbing his head where it had come into contact with the side of a table. Talk about De Ja Vu. But he knew, though he had the same dream with the same ominous feeling about a week ago, he wasn't going to call Neji like he had or visit Hinata's coffee shop. He _deffinataly_ wasn't going to see Kakashi nor invite Neji over because the Hyuuga was upset over Gaara. Because he wasn't upset. He wasn't even talking to him.

So much could change in a week...

"...ouch..." He winced. A prick in his right forearm started to bleed again.

_That's right..._He thought, a wave of remembrance washing over him. _I went to the doctor's_- He felt sick at the fact he ever had been there_-and Naruto was with me.._

_Naruto..._

That's right. Naruto loved him...even if Sasuke still felt wishy-washy on the subject...then why, in his dream, did he believe the opposite? And more importantly, did he dream it again in the first place? He stood up, noticing it was rather late and he had been sleeping on a couch. But who's couch was the more important factor. It was Naruto's. Sasuke's heart started to race, and even more so when he noticed what he was wearing. No longer _his own_ flanel pajamas, but Naruto's as well!

"G'mornin, Sasu-kun." Naruto said, yawning and scratching the back of his head. A grin spread across his face. "Last night was wild, eh?"  
"No, no, nooooo!" Sasuke yelped, putting his hands over his ears. "I promised I wouldn't do this to my se-elf!" Naruto grinned even wider.

"It was a _joke_ Sasuke! Lighten up!" Sasuke's face grew hot and his hand flew to Naruto's cheek. Naruto didn't even flinch, though his eyebrow raised slightly in amusment.

"Jeez, what's with feme-sasu all of a sudden, man?" He asked. Sasuke turned seven shades of red. "You could try a manly punch once in a while. It wouldn't kill you."

"You can't ever be serious can you!" He hissed, his eyes blazing red. "Where are _my_ clothes!?!?!"

"Calm down. There right next to you." True enough, there they were, strait from his apartment, neatly folded. Sasuke sat down and put his head in his hands.

"What's wrong?" He sat next to him. "You can tell me."

"Please. Like you would understand."

"Sure I would. Shoot." There was no real point in not telling him, Sasuke supposed.  
"Okay. I had this same dream as I did last week."

"So? Big deal."

"I'm not done. Well, the only people there were you and me." Naruto raised an eyebrow again. "Sounds interesting...am I going to enjoy this part?"

"Shut up, Naruto." He hissed. "Do you want to know or not!"

"Yes please."

"Well, it was really strange. You were telling me...that you...loved me..." He paused. "...but I wouln't believe you. I kept telling myself nobody could love me because I did somthing bad and another bad thing would happen because of me."

_Ring! Ring! Ring!_

"Hello?"

"Hi, Naruto?" It was Sakura. In the backround he could hear Ino. "Get yours and Sasuke's ass down here right now. I've already phoned Neji, Gaara and Kakashi."

"What the f-"

"I'm serious. NOW."

"Sakura, what are you talking about!"  
But Sakura had hung up.


	11. Stubborn and lost, wishing for breath

**Sorry for the wait, guys!!! Really am! I'm h oping to get 50+ reveiws and I'll update every week or so!**

**-BankotsuChick!**

**(Oh yeah, sorry for not keeping in touch, DDB! Gotta go read trecherous heart NOW!)**

"Sasuke, who have you slept with...in the past...two weeks or so?"

Sasuke, who was uncomfortable and sqirming in his skin as Naruto held his hands for a moment ago he had been leaping for the door, turned a vibrant shade of red.

"I'm not answering a question like that, Baa-chan!" He hissed, trying his best to maintain his cool, though it was becoming increasingly frustrated. He smoothed down a wayward strand of slick black hair and half-opened his sharp coal eyes.

"Your going to answer me..." Tsunade growled throgh her teeth, holding the Uchiha's coller. Sasuke's difiant eyes blazed sharinghan. "You don't have a choice. Or I'll just have to arrange a town meeting and ask every single man AND woman in Konoha and neighboring cities if they have slept with the prestegious Sauske Uchiha. What's it gunna be?"

"Guilty." Neji sighed, uncrossing his arms. "I did it with Sasuke." Kakashi grinned through his mask. "Red-handed."

"And do we even have to ask Uzimaki?"

"So what! Why do you want to know so much about Sasuke's love life?"  
"That's really a question I should be asking, Naruto." Sauske mumbled, swiping his hands away from Naruto. Public desplays of affection. Not an Uchiha thing.

"Did you or not?"  
"Yes! Sue me!"  
Though the remark was intended to be relitivly sarcastic, Tsunade's frown only fell deeper. She picked up a medical file of her desk as the four men who had been dragged there watched closly with amusment.

"Well, Naruto. Sasuke might want to very well sue you after looking through this file."

She ran a hand through her long blonde locks and pushed it across the table.

Sasuke's delayed reaction was to Neji's advantage as he snatched the item away from the Uchiha's pale dainty hand.

Gaara watched over his lover's shoulder as Neji flipped through the papers casually. Naruto held his hands on Sauske's shoulder's, somewhat calming, somewhat annoying.

"B-but..." Neji mumbled, and intence white flame burning in his eyes. "...this is impossible."

'That's what they all say." She replied. "And I'm sick of it. Sasuke," She said, looking over and dierecting her attention to him."You might want to tattoo an arrow to you ass that says 'exit only'."

"Oh come on. Tha's nooo fun." Naruto chucked. Once again, Tsunade wasn't the slightest amused.

'This is serious. For those who havn't seen it yet, Sasuke Uchiha is carrying one of you children.' She pointed to each one's shocked expression paited across their pale faces.

"It's not fair, it's not a lie and I don't know what how. who, what, when or why. What I do know is that it's true."


	12. His best friend says hes getting too old

**This one's still short. Sorry! ****No time!**

**-BankotsuChick**

* * *

Sasuke sat, cradelling his head in is hands, leaning over the toilet like he was going to throw up. Again.

"W-why me...w-w-h...y...ME!"  
"Maby its..fate?" Naruto ventured, grasping Sasuke's hand as his eyes blazed fiery-red wheels of unimaigonable fury. It was Naruto's fault. If Naruto hadn't come along EVER, he would probably be into girls. Then maby HE'd be a FATHER instead of some FREAKISH male-female...whatever.

It had been six hours. Six whole hours of sitting over a toilet ripping at Naruto's flesh.

"Unlock me. Please." He hissed under his breath. "I promise I won't kill you."

Naruto sighed and covered his smile. Somehow he wasn't as effected by the...unsual...event. Or maby...maby he was just in shock. He noticed from the corner of his eye Sasuke turning his head and watch with squinted, dark eyes as Naruto looked around for the key. Tsunade had been infuriated when the Uchiha had ceaslessly attacking the four men (Including Gaara, who was just...there...as always.) and she was known to take things into her own hands ASAP.

_"Sasuke, S-sasuke control yourself!"  
_

His hands, behind his back, sore and red from being unmoved and tied for hours, were handcuffed and sitting by the lower half of his back between his legs.

"I think it looks sexy."

Naruto said, sighed and shuving his hands in his pockets to dig out a key from his cargo pants. After fumbling with them for a while, he finally heard a click.

"I think you're one dead bastard!"

He growled, knocking Naruto to the floor. It was hard not to find it somewhat amusing as Sasuke sat on his chest so much smaller in size than Naruto, light and feathery, baring his teeth like an untamed animal, overgrown hair falling in thick, sweat-soaked strands around his face down to his chiseled jawline. His snarl deepend and Naruto really believed he was in danger for a moment until tears started falling off his face.

"Sasuke..."

"Leave me alone! I should just KILL MYSELF!"

"Now, now, don't show those fans out there that you really are an emo!!!"

"..y-you think I'm an EMO??!??!"

"No! I think your sexy! I just said that!"

"I wish I didn't have my looks! That's all people care about!"

"_I love you_, Sasuke!" Naruto was left bewildered by all the sudden bursts of emotion from him and Sasuke.

"Naruto it's not fair! I bet this wouldn't happen to any other Uchiha clan members! I'm a disgrace to the clan!"

"..." He slipped out from under Sasuke so that the raven haired boy was between his legs, pouting like a child who couldn't get his way.

"Who are we Naruto?" He sobbed. He inched away to hide his vunerablity, covering his eyes with his hands. "Who are you and who am I? What do I do with my life?" Naruto was stunned.  
"...Where are we going and why the hell do we have to get there so fast?"

Naruto thought about it for a moment.

"Well, I'm Naruto and your Sasuke. We're just a couple of guys far from normal, but that's what's great about us. And as for where we're going...well, right now I'm going to take you down stares and see if there is any left over Ichiruka's to cheer me, I meen you, up. Okay?"

Sasuke paused, wiped his eyes on his shirt and locked eyes with Naruto. The sharighan disapeared, and he wrapped his arms around his neck.  
"I love you too, Sasuke."

* * *

Itachi Uchiha was far from dead, as many had believed.

As he sat on the rim of the balcony, he watched the embers of the Konoha sun burn into the night. He hopped down and took the elevator to the second floor where Konoha Medic, Inc was located.

His nonchalant expression disapated as he walked through the doors.

"Y-your..." Sakura looked up, a bead of sweat running down her forehead as her eyes buldged. "Your Itachi!"

"Yes, and I'm here on behalf of Sasuke. I can prove that his child is infact mine."

"That's sick!" Sakura backed away, taking up the file that lay on the desk. After sifting through it, she glared up at him, stunned.

It was true!


	13. Before he knows it he's talking to death

**FINALLY! MY STUPID COMPUTER WOULDN'T LET ME UPDATE! ARG! Aren't you suprised I'm not dead? ( Oh yeah DDB! Sorry for not e-mailing you back about being Beta reader! I'll PM you the next chapter, if that's okay. Gotta hurry this up, I have to go read Trecherous Heart before a cirtain person chews my head off! **

**REVEIW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**

**-BankotsuChick**

* * *

"I'm sorry."  
Gaara was silent. Dark. Forbading. He exhaled out of his mouth, breath still cliging in the air.

"...it was a long time ago."

"It was a six days ago."  
"I'm sorry." The hair on the back of Neji's neck started to rise defensivly. Since when was this his fault!?! Gaara HAD after all forgiven him and it was all in the past! His expression mimicked Gaara's and he slumped into his chair.

He hated being angry all the time. Hadn't Neji passed that chapter in his life long ago?

"I wonder what they'll look like."

"Me too." Neji had only tried to make friendly conversation, yet Gaara was still cold. His heart was somthing that had never changed. Though it had melted some, it was still frozen in a web of jelousy that hardened whenever Sasuke came into the conversation.

"What would you do, honestly."

"...geh."

"That's not an answer! That's some kinda barf noise."

Neji decided then that he probably wouldn't get an answer. At that moment, he decided he really didn't want one.

* * *

"...Mangekouyu Sharinghan." Itachi's voice chimed, the air thick and silent. "Perfect."

He saw the knitted eyebrow's in the girl's unconcious face, holding her chin in his palm. He would be incontrol. He would have the heir to the Uchiha clan and he would once again rule as most feared Ninja, this time with liniage.

"Sasuke...time has passed as well as people...but you and I have not moved an inch."

* * *

It was cold.

Sauske didn't understand why it had to be him. Everything was so cold now. He was finally with Naruto again, but nothing made sense. The breeze fluttered and the leaves danced around him like lacy air, chill snaking up the legs of his shorts and seeping through the roots of his hair. There was a peice of the puzzle that was missing and for some reason the blind people around him would try and make it fit.

But it was _never_ going to fit unless you found the right piece.

_Why should I have to deal with this? Why am I giving up so easily? I hate children. I just hate them They are not cute, they smell funny and there loud. _

This was_ just the opposite _of what Sasuke wanted.

The truth was, he was incontrol. He fingered the note Naruto had left him. How was he suppose to go on missions with this..._thing?_ It would be more likley to probably eat him from the inside than make him happier. He was perfectly fine with his life and Naruto was trying to make the peice fit when Sasuke had long ago found the piece that worked.

_It's my choice._

The little chart that the inthusiastic father-to-be made was crude and at first Sasuke had thought how cute it was, though he would rather die and take everyone he knew with him than admit that, now it was just annoying. He was supprised he wasn't hystarical, though at the thought, his breathing increased two-fold.

"I don't have to keep it."

There was a picture that looked like a lowercase 'd' and a lower case 'b' and one was labled 'pregnant women' and 'Sasuke (8 months from now)'.

_"See? There's no difference! Aren't you excited, Sasu-chan!"_

He had writting down book titles.

_"We'll be one big happy family."_

Websites.

_"Everything's going to be great."_

Even things he had just remembered at the time or decided to rightdown for the hell of it. He loved him so much that Sasuke could barley comprehend it. He didn't even know if he loved or even will love anyone that much.

_But_ it was still his fault. His fault Sasuke had to live through this hell.

Or was it really Naruto's fault at all? Was it Neji's? Perhaps Kakashi's? But the truth was, it was Sasuke's. Sasuke's for letting it happen in the first place.

"That's it!" He snarled, letting the wind snatch away the note. "I'm getting rid of this thing!"

* * *

Naruto was smiling, smiling all the time. He hadn't smiled this much since he had met Sasuke.

But Sasuke was different, he was distant than usual.

Would eveything still be the same even if they had a child? And would it be the same as before they broke up, before Sasuke swore he'd never trust him again, never love him again? Would it be the same as before Naruto betrayed him? Before he-

"Naruto Uzimaiki. Nice to see you again."

His blood froze. Speak of the devil.  
"I really need a lock for this door." He said, calm and rational as possible even though his blood was boiling and sweat was beading on his forehead.  
"You know a lock...couldn't stop me..." The figure took a few steps so he was right behind Naruto. "Not that, though, anything can..."

Naruto couldn't take much more of this. He whirled around and was met staring into the cold, ruthless eyes of Itachi Uchiha.

* * *

Neji Hyuuga stood at the door to Sakura's apartment with a wad of cash and a sinking heart. It would absolutley _destroy_ Gaara if that child ended up being his. He knocked solemly on the thick wooden door and folded his arms, fingering the bills. She had to accept his offer or face his wrath.The sound of the solid wood echoing into the hallway suggested she wasn't home.

Sakura was probably somewhere like the office she worked at or Lee's house, of witch he neither knew the location too. He sighed and whipped out his cell phone.

Money and love were powerful motivators.

* * *

"What's wrong, Naruto?" Itachi mused, glancing over the soft-fetured blonde with his sharp blue eyes. To see the rediculously handsome face contorted in such a controlled, resisting expression was exiting. It was so easy to controll someone, and when they resisted it was all the more fun. His looks, his charm, his power...Itachi could control anyone.

"Don't you remember the last time I saw you, or was that..._a dream_?"

He took Naruto's chin in his hand though Naruto was still taller and cocked his head to the side innocently. Itachi's menicing smile was that of a child torturing insects with a magnifying glass. Naruto's nose crinkled in disgust.

_Itachi Uchiha, Innocent? Don't make me laugh!_

He swallowed, shook free and backed against the wall. Itachi sighed and looked up with the big red eyes that could steal a soul. "You've changed so much since then. I used to believe there was some good in you. Like there was good in Sasuke."

Itachi's smile faded.

"Is that so?" His lithe body snaked around Naruto so he was behind him now. Naruto's breath became rapid when the Uchiha stood on the tips of his toes, wrapped his arms around his neck and whispered into his ear:

"That child of Sasuke's is going to be mine, Naruto-kun."

"What??!" He pushed Itachi away feircly. "You can't! You just can't!"  
Itachi rubbed the arm where Naruto had pushed him away and pouted. His eyes were mocking. _But, oh yes, I can..._

"You can't..."

_He's a minipulator. Don't even look at him._

But he looked so much like Sasuke, Sauske when he made that same, irrisitably cute face, but much more open than Sasuke ever was. He loved Sauske more than anything, but couldn't he be less moody? Less close-minded? Less cold? Now he was ashamed of himself. He loved Saske. Itachi was the coldest of them all and Naruto knew it. Then why was he being soft? He could kill the man infront of him with his bare hands.  
But he didn't have time to kill him. He didn't even have time to think. Itachi had kissed him.

Again.

_He's on puppet strings. I've got his heart in my hands. _He grinned inwardley.. _More like under my foot._

"Maby you wern't as hard to capture as I though."

_I'm betraying Sasuke!_

Naruto was dissapointed in himself more than Itachi. Itachi was always Itachi, meaning he was a minipulating, coniving, menical bastard. But Naruto...he always thought that he was better than that.

His first instinct was to just embrase it and forget the moment.

_Why am I...placing my hands on his hips?_

But he was older now, wiser, smarter. He couldn't do it again. He could lose Sasuke and break the trust he worked so hard to build.

_Letting him slide his tounge into my...mouth?_

_Disgusting._ It was so...shamful. He pushed Itachi away again.

"What is it? Your feeling shamful?" Naruto glared.

"That's only because you can read my mind."

"Fair enough." He smirked. Naruto's eyebrows creased and his jaw clentched.

"I hate you so much..." Naruto breathed through his teeth. Itachi was not suprised. "Who are you?" He seethed. "Who are you to think you can come in a destroy my life! Again!"

"Oh, and it's my fault?" Itachi crossed his arms.  
Naruto was caught off gaurd. Surely, it was Itachi's fault. Surely, it couldn't be anyone eles's. Could it?

"Your the one who's stupid enough to let me do it too you. And believe me, I will. I just said that I would ruin your life. You let me kiss you and you even kissed me back. Your a fucking moron."

"Your so much like Sasuke."

"You don't seem to relize you just betrayed Sasuke." He mumbled, half amused. "I don't think you will make a very good father, Naru-chan." He waited to see an enraged reaction but only found one of self pity.

_His body, his words...his kiss...I don't understand why you two hate eachother._

"Sasuke's in love with you I'm not." A sly smile crept across his lips. "Some would even say I hated you."

"Get out. Get out of my house and out of my life. Out, out out."

"Fine fine, do as you wish." He half-waved slightly, donned his infamous red and black jacket, and paused to stop in the doorway. "But remember...Naru-heika-"

"Don't call me that!"

Itachi smirked. He was pulling the heartstrings, tearing, shredding them wit every word that crossed his devious lips.

"Okay, have it your way. But he's mine. Sasuke. Your Child. Mine."

"But he's your own _brother_! How could you do that to him?!?"

"Oh Please. Sasuke hasn't been my brother for years." With that, Itachi was gone leaving Naruto staring at an empty doorway.

* * *

**Haha ITACHIS A BASTARD!!!!!!!!!! I know I know, Naruto is too. But don't worry, I'll be updating sooner from now on! Gotten over this writter's block thing! **

**-BankotsuChick**

**REVEIW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**


	14. Do you believe it what you see?

**THIS CHAPTER IS HUGE!** lol. It is, it's like three times as long as the normal ones, so be happy for another week or so. I'm on a writting frenzy and I've got the next six or seven chapters all set up! I'm so organized (

**WARNING:** Itachi. Lots and lots of ITACHI!!! I've been so obsessed with him lately. Hmph. He plays a major role in the rest of the plot, or at least if you guys like it. I'm a slave to my readers I'm afraid.

This chapter also shows why, in the beggining Sasuke had broken up with Naruto. Yes, it dose have to do with Ita-sama (

REVIEW! I WAS DISSAPOINTED IN THE LACK OF REVEIWS FOR THE LAST CHAPTER!!!! )

Oh well, I'm hoping you guys like this, I really do. **BY THE WAY the flash backs always start with what Naruto thought, his POV. Then it changes to narrorator POV, k?**

**THANKS TO SWEETSONG FOR THE TIPS! I FIXED THE MISTAKES ( :**

**-BankotsuChick**

* * *

Home was far, far away from my mind now. I mission was over. I had called Sasuke and received no answer. Figures. He was pretty angry when I left. It was raining hard, as I remember, cold. I had already killed a man tonight but I had been told that was what I was suppose to do, therefore it was alright. But it was never alright. I would not be able to sleep that night.

I was walking through the streets to take a quick route home. It was absolutely deserted.

All

I

remember

is

_Blood. _

_There was blood everywhere, staining the streets where Naruto stood. The puddles that reflected the delicately pallid moonlight, fragile to the steadily drumming rain. Death hung in the air, thick like the feel of hatred and sadness entwined in a grim unison. Blood was clotting on his shoes, sloppy, disgusting. _

_The swash of colors, shades of red, became darker as he stepped through the empty streets of the village. It was from the chickens surely, slaughtered and lying on the steps of the houses and shops. Or from the meat market he had passed. There was no way that this was human blood._

_But he knew, of course, it was._

_Suddenly, he dashed, dashed through the empty dirt road, grasses, drowning in the death, sprouting up from the earth. There was a young man, probably still a boy, leaning against the side of a closed restaurant. He could see him, see him clinging to life, leaning against the wall. Naruto knew had seen him before but never like this._

_As he approached him, he had to wonder if the boy was even conscious. He had a feeling, though, a man like this would not die. He was very surprised as he got closer; It was him. He stood there, in the rain, waiting for an attack. _

_There was none._

_"Itachi Uchiha!"_

_There was no sound except for the ragged breathing. He was not even sure that he heard anything for the sound of the rain was hard. Itachi's eyes were shielded by a thick straw had giving him a shady, ominous look. He was dead, for sure. As soon as Naruto saw his pained face, his eyes saw Sasuke the moment he left, worried about him._

_He reached out a hand, but his wrist was caught by a frail hand with dark, sharp nails._

_"Touch me and you die."_

_Naruto was not threatened. He could feel Itachi had no chakra. None._

_Through the straw he could see Itachi's eyes were no longer red; they were black, like Sasuke's._

_"You couldn't kill me. Not if you wanted to, not if you tried. "_

* * *

Sasuke marched through the clinic doors, teeth gritted in fury. Naruto was absolutely nowhere, not that he cared all too much because just seeing him at this point made him sick. Neji was there, looking chic as usual, Burberry scarf wrapped around his neck tapping his foot.

"Where is Sakura-kun? I need to talk to her NOW."

His tone was harsh, like he had no time for Neji. The Hyuuga's heart sank. What would he do it the child was his? Sasuke hated the kid and if it WAS Neji's he would hate Neji too. But somehow when he stared at the raven-haired boy in of him fidgeting, he was overcome with nostalgia. He was Sasuke's best friend. Would it ever be the same?

_"I'm sorry...I shouldn't be pouring my problems out to you."  
"It's okay."  
"I've never known you to be the sympathetic type, you know, Sasuke-Chan."  
"Few people have. Only the people I really like..." He gave his cute little half-smile. "I like you Neji."_

Sasuke was staring at him now. He decided to fill the empty air with a few words.

"Good question," Neji replied softly, not meeting Sasuke's eyes. "I've been wondering too. Why do you need her?"

"I'm getting rid of the thing."  
Neji was taken aback.

"Why would you do that?" Sasuke gave him a look. _Your a moron,_ It seemed to speak.

"Because this is hell." He said simply, not a tone of emotion in his voice. It was just as he had thought. Maybe if Itachi had never killed the Uchiha clan in the first place, he wouldn't have been this way. Maybe after his trust was rebuilt, Naruto and Itachi shouldn't have torn it down. Neji used to be the one who could save Sasuke. Now he just caused him grief.

Sasuke was mumbling impatiently to himself banging the little brass bell on the countertop for a minute or so until he heard a crack signaling there would be no more bell.

"Do you need he-"

"Just be quiet, Neji."

Sasuke stared to smash his head on the table when a tired looking girl with bright pink hair came stumbling into the clinic with a sloshing cup of coffee and an armful of files. She looked to her side to see a pair of each charcoal and opal eyes glued to her where ever she moved.

Sakura, before saying a word to either of them, charged out of the clinic and ran for the hills. Sasuke fallowed her to the threshold of the door, cursing after her.

Neji sighed and Sasuke shoved him as he looked for his car keys and started shuffling away when Neji grabbed his shoulder. Sasuke shook him away, but he called after.

"...you really hate me now, don't you."

Sasuke stopped his ranting, dead in his tracks, waiting for more of the silky words. He was clearly thinking about the question or he wouldn't have stopped, Neji believed.

He was about to continue, but Sasuke spoke first.

"No," He mumbled, but it was whole-heartily. "I hate myself." Neji didn't understand. Sasuke turned around and smiled slightly.

"I hate myself for loving you once."  
With that, Sasuke was gone, leaving Neji not knowing he understood less: The answer or the Uchiha.

* * *

_Proof of absence dose not always mean absence of proof._

I don't know why Itachi didn't just kill me after he was better. It must have been luck or something. But when I first when against his will and helped him I could see the resentment and independence in his eyes that almost could make my flesh burn. I called Sasuke that day. I didn't have the heart to tell him anything but that the mission went well enough. I told him I loved him. He didn't say anything else.

_"I love you Sasuke." He said softly. He expected the usual or even no answer at all, witch was what he received last night._

_"...not today."  
"What?"  
"I can't tell you don't mean it today, Naruto."  
"Oh..." He didn't know how to answer something like that. "Goodbye, my love." But Sasuke had already hung up. Itachi was there, Cole black eyes staring at him. Apparently, he still didn't have enough chakra for sharing. The Uchiha boy hadn't spoken once to Naruto and he was lonely without Sasuke. _

_Sasuke..._

_Did he even love Naruto anymore if he could say such hurtful things? Not love him today? What the fuck was that suppose to mean?_

_"You think there's some good in everyone?" Naruto whispered, clutching the phone that moments ago breathed Sasuke's voice. Itachi turned his head but didn't look Naruto directly in the eyes.  
"I don't understand the question." Naruto wasn't surprised. Someone like Itachi could never understand. He looked over at the raven-haired man who was only maybe a foot away, sitting on the bed wit his knees brought up to his chest, watching the rain fall from outside_

_"I always believed there was good in Sasuke. I always thought he really cared about me."_

_Itachi was silent. His mind was racing though his body was calm. Here was a boy he had met only a handful of times yet he was speaking to him like a best friend. Itachi should be dead. But he wasn't._

_"My brother is a good person. But I believe, no, not everyone is good. Some people are..." He paused and locked eyes with Naruto. "Are truly...evil." The tone sent a shiver down his spine._

_"But how do you know? How do you know who's good and who's evil?"_

_"In this world, we can be easily fooled." _

_Naruto brimmed with questions._

_"Is that why you let Sasuke live? Because he was a 'good person'? Or were you too lazy? Did you think he was too weak? Was that really the reason?"_

_There was something unearthly about Itachi's presence, something almost godlike. But Itachi wasn't. He was more of a demon. But Naruto was the only person who wasn't afraid of him._

_"No." _

_But it was a lie. Naruto knew, though he would have never believed it, Itachi loved Sasuke no matter what. It would never change. No matter how much he hated him there was still something. that could be felt when they touched or when they looked at each. There was still the happy voices of two little boys, two brothers, carried into the wind, echoing up from the chasms of the past._

_"I guess your right. Maybe we can all be fooled sometimes. But I'm not." _

_There was a shred of good inside Itachi too, small, feeble and tiny, and it only took the intensity of his gaze and the sound of his voice to assure this to Naruto._

_The blonde's handsome face was dripping with the rain that tugged at his overgrown hair and leaked through the cracks in the roof. The droplet's snaked over Itachi's face too, and Naruto found something so human about the way the water hit them the same. Maybe somewhere Sasuke was there too, sitting at the kitchen table the way Naruto knew he was, holding the phone, tears falling down his face. Maybe it was even the rain._

_"But I think your wrong. I think you just showed me there was good in everyone." _

_Itachi was silent. "Your a fool." He said after a while._

_"...your so much like Sasuke."_

_"Sasuke is a fool too. Don't you see?"  
"I don't understand the question." Someone like Naruto could never understand. There was nothing but more silence._

_"If you say there's good in everyone, why shouldn't I prove you wrong and kill you?"_

_wouldn't."_

_"You are an absurdly confident man, Mr. Uzumaki."_

_In an instant, before Itachi knew what was going on, he was on his back with large, masculine fingers curled around his thin pale wrists. A strong, well toned body lingered over him and he felt insecure and vulnerable like he had never felt before._

_"...more confident than you thought, eh?"_

_"Get Offa me. Now."_

_Rain dripped off Naruto's face watching, gazing at Itachi's soft pale skin and fierce black eyes. Itachi was smarter and more experienced for sure but he could feel the heat that radiated from Naruto's breath and the smoldering blue flame that was his eyes. Itachi could feel a shiver ripple through him, shivering up his spine and dancing over his skin._

_"How long are you planning on holding me like this?" Itachi snarled. It wasn't right, it didn't feel right. It was so strange, the tightening in his chest, the redness on his face that he was trying to hold in. But it was like trying to stop a moving train. _

_"Kiss me? Is that what your planning on doing, eh Uzumaki?" Their eyes were fierce and battling as flickers of chakra, hints, whispers lit up Itachi's cold eyes. "Well?" He said, calmer as if showing any emotion at all was sin. "Are you?"_

_"If I do it's only to shut you up."_

_"Get off me."_

_In an instant, Naruto kissed him._

* * *

Kakashi sat down, put his coat on the side of the chair and ordered a Scotch on the rocks. He ran his fingers through his silky hair and mumbled into the lapel of his shirt, bouncing his knee beneath the counter. The bartender sloshed the drink into a glass and slid it down to him.

"He hates me. He totally hates me..."

"Gin for me." Said a voice next to him as he heard the screeching of a metal bar stool scraping against the floor. He looked over to see none other than Itachi Uchiha, fingers laced and gazing, at Kakashi, scrutinizing his every future. The silver-haired Jonin was speechless.

"I-Itachi?" was such a player.  
"Lover problems?"

_Iruka's not my lover! We're just friends_! He wanted to scream, but he kept his cool. "I'm s-surprised your not the cause of it." Kakashi stammered as a pair of flickering red eyes scowled at him.

"That was a while ago. Plus, Naruto came onto _me_. The one I felt bad for was your pretty raven-haired friend." Itachi mumbled sarcastically. Pretty? Sasuke was gorgeous, probably the best looking man that Kakashi had ever known. But staring at Itachi, his hair mussed and tussled, slick and beautiful with his chiseled face and piercing eyes, Kakashi didn't know why Itachi was frowned apron. He was even _better_ looking than Sasuke! Oh yes, that's right. He's a bastard who was trying to seduce yet another man.

"Don't you think of Sasuke as your brother?" Kakashi asked testily, downing another Scotch. "Don't you feel bad for him?"  
"...Sasuke's not my brother. It's been over for a while, I have you know, Hitake."

"You're a sick man."

"I won't argue with you, Kakashi." ordered a third drink as he was feeling the effects of the second. But he had to be careful. If he got too drunk he might fall for Itachi's manipulation.  
"Shame. You look so much like Sasuke."

"I heard you slept with him."

"I did." Kakashi was feeling light-headed. "...you look so much like him. It's the eyes, I think. There so beautiful." Itachi smirked into his jacket. Time to play on the newly found weakness, his likeness to Sasuke. Each step in his plan was becoming easier and easier to walk. Pretty soon, that child would be his.

"Are you worried?"  
"About?"  
"That maybe the child would be yours."

Kakashi thought about it while Itachi ordered him another drink, on him.

"No...I think it would be kinda nice, ya know? To have a kid?" Itachi nodded like he understood.

"Yes. I do."

"Your hair is really pretty." Kakashi didn't know what he was saying.  
"Are you hitting on me, Mr. Hitake?" Itachi grinned into his collar.  
"Yes." The effects of the alcohol was starting to make him slightly dizzy. He felt as though his mind was on auto pilot while the real Kakashi, the one with common sense, took a nap.

"Oh. Okay." Itachi was going to act like Sasuke, he was going to make Kakashi think he was the Sasuke_ he could _have if he had to. Itachi would do anything...he could do anything.

He intensified his Sharinghan to see if he could look into what Kakashi was thinking, but the Jonin was impenetrable. He would have to work harder now, but Itachi didn't mind getting his hands dirty.

He closed his eyes.

_I am Sasuke. I am flattered by Kakashi. thinks I'm cute._

"Are you blushing, Itachi?" Kakashi said, surprised. Itachi Uchiha? Sincere and embarrassed? Never.

Itachi turned away and ordered another drink.

"Your really cute, Itachi. Really good-looking."

"...T-thank you..." _I am embarrassed._

"Really, good-looking, nice hair, nice skin, nice eyes, and I bet you have a nice body..."

_What would Sasuke say? What would...alike-Chan say?_ He thought with a snicker.

"Kakashi, you pervert!" _I am Sasuke._ Itachi couldn't help but smirk.

If there was one thing Itachi knew it was how to manipulate.

Iruka would say the next day, disappointed in Kakashi, that it was the sign of someone who had been, as a child, severely abused.

Umino Iruka was probably the smartest person ever to really think about Itachi Uchiha, the only person who didn't envy, didn't lust for or didn't love him. He was the only person who pitied him.

I guess I was stupid. I guess I missed Sasuke and saw him in Itachi. I don't know. I guess I won't ever know at all. I didn't feel bad because I didn't like Itachi. Infect, I hated him. I guess some people really are evil. Itachi was right. I give him credit for that, if only that.

* * *

_Itachi was stunned and drew back immediately. This was the first person who had touched him like this since...since..._

_"Uzumaki!" Itachi hissed, hands against Naruto's chest in a vain attempt to push him away. No one was going to take him again, make him submit to treacherous, sinful acts._

_There was a pain in his side from old wounds that had long since, for the past two days anyway, been bandaged and they were starting to cause a sensation that felt like burning.  
"You don't know as much as you think."_

_"Please...leave me alone." Itachi had never felt so vulnerable, so utterly afraid, flashes of the last time slipping through his mind._

_"You were hurt, weren't you, Ita-Chan." Itachi returned to his normal, more dignified position of sitting below the window sill on the bed, closing his opened cloak and furiously wiping his mouth._

_  
It was so vile, so disgusting._

_**hands on the floor**_

_**tears on his face and in a puddle below him**_

_**rough hands around slender body**_

_Naruto watched him and as if invisible, to himself and Itachi, tears flowed down his cheeks like a river. His breathing increased and Naruto saw him slip a hand inside his jacket and place it on his bare chest to calm his racing heart beat._

_  
"You were hurt. By someone you loved, isn't that right, tachi-kun?"_

_"It is something to be ashamed of. But a true shinobi will never lie."_

_Naruto felt an instant pain in his chest at the wounded Uchiha like when he had met Sasuke. All he wanted to do was save him, save him, no matter how ridiculous it sounded, from himself._

_He placed a hand on Itachi's knee, but he pulled away._

_"Please. Don't touch me."_

_"I wish you would trust me, tachi-Chan." Itachi's eyes widened._

_"Don't call me that! Don't call me tachi-Chan..."_

_  
Time passed. He called Sasuke, shamefully._

_"Naruto-kun? I can't talk. Neji and Gaara are over." He lied through his teeth, Naruto could tell.  
"I just wanted to say I loved you, Sasuke."_

_"Not today. I can tell you don't mean it today."_

_Naruto hung up. Sasuke didn't think he loved him. What would he do now/_

_More time passed._

_"I won't hurt you, Itachi. Show me the strong shinobi I know you are, Ita-san."_

_**I so desperately want to please you, Otouto-Chan. I want you to love me. I want you to look up to me. I want you to think of me as a hero. As your big strong brother.**_

_"You Uchiha's, man." Naruto said in a way that was almost endearing. "You can take anything, anything. Kunai, shuriken, other S-class criminals...but a kiss or a hug and your freaking out."_

_He was right. Itachi wanted to be powerful. He wanted to be the best. He wanted to be in control._

_Softly, as Naruto was fiddling with his headband, Itachi put a delicate hand on his shoulder and kissed him back._

_Naruto had never seen eyes like that before. Eyes so full of promise, eyes like a child who wanted to please his parents. It was so sweet it was almost sickening. Naruto didn't hesitate. He could feel the hot tension that lingered between them like a summer breeze, slick hair and wet clothing burning up in the tension._

_"You're an awfully confident man," Itachi whispered into his ear as Naruto shoved him roughly onto the futon. "How did you not know I was strait and had a girlfriend?"_

_"Your a fool. Can't you see I've met more than one Itachi? I've met more than one hurt little boy sitting on a sidewalk who's crying inside. I know you, Itachi." Naruto whispered, hot breath on pale skin.  
Itachi was the fool._

_The caress of a tongue around his collar bone made a sensation dart through his veins. What was this feeling? Was it love?_

_"Naruto-heika!" He whimpered, fingers in the thick mass of blonde hair, hands cupping the square-jawed face and soft futures. _

_  
But maybe Naruto was the fool after all. Someone like Itachi could never love again._

_"Something's gotta happen after the pain is gone. Something's gotta start again."  
"...Your right. You have to be right..."_

_It was so hot despite the freezing air that fanned through the room in the cracks of the floorboards and the crevasses in the ceiling. Itachi could feel the ribbon that held his cloak together being forcefully untied and used to bind his hands above his head._

_"Your so beautiful, Itachi."_

_"...beautiful..." He echoed back in a ravished voice, soft but scratched by his harsh breathing. The sound of the other boy's voice was exciting. Itachi felt more tears falling when the dancing of their tongues, wild and passionate, drew blood from his lips.  
"...Ahh...Naru-heika..." Naruto brought his tongue up to the wound and licked it softly. It was unimaginable to Itachi that someone would want to get close to him. It didn't make sense, it wasn't right. Of course not, idiot, He though. This was his brother's boyfriend. But Itachi didn't care.  
But Naruto didn't expect him to. He didn't expect much of Itachi Uchiha. But, he realized a few hours after he began unbuckling his pants, he expected much more from himself._

* * *

"Why would Itachi be back here? None of this makes sense, Kakashi-san. None." Iruka sighed. At least he was done with his insane lecture, Kakashi thought, slightly relived. But as Iruka started talking up a storm again, he lay his head on the table. Now he was just annoyed.

"And another thing that doesn't make sense is that you made out with Itachi Uchiha! You would have probably ended up in a hotel room, under his trap, if I hadn't showed up there!" He started pacing again and bouncing up and down slightly.  
"Whoa, whoa. Iruka please, I'm not a little kid! I don't need the reprimand. Please. Please, _please_." Iruka glared fiercely. He was a truly crazy man.  
"The scary part is that you aren't a kid. But you sure act like one."

"Iruka!"  
"I'm _sorry_!" He wailed. "It just doesn't make sense!" Iruka's teacher mentality always wanted concrete evidence for everything. Nothing should be out in the open unsolved, a missing piece to a puzzle. If they watched a mystery movie right now, there would be the same frantic whining.

"Well sometimes it _doesn't_ make sense. You gotta deal." Kakashi growled. This headache was one son-of-a-bitch.

"But it has to!"  
"What has to?" Naruto had just walked in uninvited and with that, Iruka began to burry his head in his hands.  
"I have you know, Naruto-_Chan_, that it is very rude to walk into people's apartment unannounced! You didn't even give me the time to make something to eat!"

Insane, Kakashi thought. Naruto was thinking the same thing. Iruka calmed himself and looked Naruto in the eyes. Some was disappointment, old and dug up from about six months ago, some was pure worry.  
"Itachi's back." He said dimly, watching no surprise in Naruto's eyes.

"I know. He came over today."  
"What!??!?!? He kissed Kakashi and now is after you too???" At this point, Kakashi left before he could be lectured anymore than he had.  
"He kissed Itachi?" Naruto said with vague amusement. "Wow."  
"You better not fall for him again, Naruto." Iruka warned. "Seriously. He's a dangerous fellow."

"Dammit! I'm not a fucking idiot!" Naruto hissed and slammed his fists on the table. Iruka was a little confused on behalf of his behavior. He tried to make sense of it, but it was hard when he had to make something out of nothing.

"He's such a bastard! He's trying to take Sasuke's kid away from us too!"

Iruka looked as if he was about to have a heart attack.

"I hope you didn't tell Sasuke. You can't have him worrying over something like that. It's not good for him."

"I know. I'm going to go see Itachi soon to see what the fuck has crawled up his ass to make him such a heartless bastard." Iruka wagged a finger.

"But you-"  
"NEVER!" Naruto said with a amazing confidence. "I would never let him do it! I hate the fucking bastard, more than I even thought was possible."

Iruka's expression softened. He put a hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"Naruto you don't understand."

"Oh, I think I do." The teacher smiled stiffly.

"We sometimes fear that in witch we do not know." Naruto looked puzzled.  
"Then tell me. I don't want to be in the dark." He sighed. "One thing about Itachi Uchiha is that you always have to keep your guard up." Iruka took a swig of a beer, witch was probably a mistake considering it was three o'clock in the afternoon.

"Itachi was a terribly abused child." Iruka, the ever-kind sensei, looked pained just talking about Itachi's mistreatment. "Sexually abused by his father's friend. Beaten by his drunken mother. He was always trying protecting Sasuke and be strong for him."

Naruto knew he had been hurt, but never knew this before. Never beaten and mentally tortured like an animal. If he were Sakura, he'd take a good look at the guy; diagnose him with some kinda Borderline Personality disorder and put him on meds.

"Because of this, he was never normal. The boy's a total wreck with no self-confidence."

"I can see that."

"Itachi was raised to think like a mass manipulator, a man who lived to take advantage of people like it happened to him. He can make anyone fall under his spell; his smiles, his blushing, he can even change the way he and you think of himself."  
"That's...t-that's awful." He felt a pang of sympathy and fear for and of Itachi. "So when...so when I met him, the tears, the sobbing, the fear...it was a lie?"  
"...no. There can be many faces to someone like this. Itachi doesn't want to be this way. But he certainly has changed a great deal. And yes, some of this may be your doing."  
"It's my fault? My fault he's a bastard and trying to take my kid?"

"Itachi's afraid of what he feels. He's trying to destroy it. Outside he may be an S-class treacherous, powerful man, but on the inside he's torn to shreds. He doesn't want to love. He's afraid to love anyone."  
"I'm confused."

"Naruto, he may be a genius at this, but when it comes to love, he's going to act like a predictable child. The little boy who throws rocks at the girl he likes. Though that scenario doesn't exactly apply, it's the same."  
"What...are you saying?"

"...can't you see?" Iruka said as if it were clear as day light. "Itachi loves you!"

* * *

Itachi was standing out in the hall way listening stealthily to the conversation with a devious smirk on his face. Then, as he listened, his smirk faded and doing any harm to Naruto seemed impossible. Tears started pouring down his face until he felt like there was nothing left inside of him.

"Naruto, Iruka." Itachi whispered, slinking away before Naruto left. "You sure hit the nail on the head."

They also knew, frightening Itachi, that, unconsciously, they could sure eat his heart out.

* * *

I left very early that morning when I was sure that Itachi was asleep. He was so warm that it was hard to pull away. I had just remembered Sasuke that morning and I had fucked Itachi like we both had a one-way ticket to hell. I couldn't place the look in his eyes last night but it was frightening. I barely knew what I had just did, but I knew it was bad, not just for me and Sasuke, but for Itachi.

_Naruto phoned Sasuke about ten kilometers to Konoha, in no hurry saying he was almost there. The blonde had stopped when he had noticed he himself was crying._

_"S-sasuke baby?" He choked. "I miss you. I love you."_

_"...not today. You don't mean it today do you, Naruto?"_

_"I meen it!"_

_"..." The raven-haired boy on the other line was totally silent with confusion._

_"Sasuke, baby, I meen it...please, I want to hear your voice."_

_"Naruto, what happened?" Sasuke said in a frantic tone. Naruto broke._

_"I-I don't k-know if I should-d bother coming home. God, S-Sauske I forgot about how much I love you."_

_"Are you dying? Is this fake, Naruto?" Sauske whispered in fear, though, he knew, it wasn't._

_Naruto hung up and continued slowly until he reached their apartment._

_"Naruto!" Sasuke flung his arms around his neck, whipping the tears away and grieving a huge, extremely rare, broad smile. "Are you alright, baby? I've been waiting for you all this time and I think it's due for me to...welcome you back..." He gave a sly smile and grasped his lover's hand._

_"Sasuke, no."_

_"What?"_

_"Sasuke..." Saying the name over and over to make sure it was real, he looked Sasuke right in the eye. He couldn't lie. No, he couldn't. "I betrayed you, my love. I can't live with myself."_

_Sasuke shook his head and tears welled up in his eyes. He knew it was true. Naruto was a liar. He never loved him. It was a all such a lie that Sasuke felt sick to the core.  
"...no-n-no...y-you didn't, Naruto. You didn't cheat on me..."  
Naruto was silent. He seized Sasuke's lips in a soft kiss._

_"I love you. Can't you tell I meen it this time!?!"  
"Yes! Sasuke sobbed. "But it only makes it worse!"_

* * *

**How was that? Was it good? Huh, huh? Confusing, eh? The next one's worse if you thought that. Oh yeah, go listen to Mika songs. His music is uber smexy and I love it. I'm listening to it right now! (**

**REVEIW AND GIVE SUGGESTIONS!!!!!**

**-bankotsuchick**


	15. Dark Blue stars on an empty sky

**This is a short one, but the cliff hanger's good enough to have you guys reveiwing, I hope. REVEIW! I want 60-65, witch is not that hard, right? The plot is getting from serious in the last chapter to slightly rediculous. AND THANK GOD I CHECKED MY SPELLING AND GRAMMER!!!!! ( :**

**-BankotsuChick**

* * *

"Naruto, buddy!" Gaara shouted over the phone, much more jubilant that usual, and that caught Naruto slightly off guard.  
"...eh? Gaara-teme?" It was strange to hear Gaara's chirpy voice, strange not only because it was chirpy but because it was one-thirty-nine in the morning.

"I was wondering...oh yeah! Me and Neji are at a bar._ Alright, alright, I'll tell him_. Neji says hi."

"...that's_ great_ Gaara. But please. I was asleep."

"Is Sasuke there?"  
Naruto was shocked.

"Neji wants to say hi to him too."  
"No..." Naruto said, stunned that he had crawled into bed without really noticing his lover was gone and hadn't returned. In fact, he hadn't seen Sasuke since yesterday morning when he stormed off to the Konoha Medical Center to look for Sakura.

"Well, we just wanted to say hi and to ask if you wanted to do something tomorrow, or, I meen, today!"

"Sure." Naruto said, half-amused at the fact that Gaara was drunk of his ass.

"Wanna...play Othello?"  
"_Othello?"_

"Yeah, Othello. Okay, Othello, 3 pm tomorrow? Ooh, Naruto-kun, how about _strip_ Othello? Bring Sasuke-kun and whoever else, okay? I like-"

Naruto hung up on that note and ignored the last seven calls, sitting in bed watching the reflections of the lights cast on the ceiling. He knew Sasuke was okay, but he couldn't help worrying. He would call him, later, not to invade his space and get another heavy item to the head.

Naruto, though he tried, could not get a wink of sleep. He thought of Itachi lost and sad...as wounded as the day he helped him, six months ago. Maybe he could invite Itachi and maybe Itachi would smile. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to picture Itachi smiling. It was pretty and adorable, anyone could fall in love with a smile like that.

As much as he loved Sasuke, he could help thinking how much he loved Itachi's smile, too. This could cause a problem.

* * *

Sasuke was about a block away when he saw someone entering their house at the end of the street. If there was one thing Sasuke was good at, it was running. He bolted across the sidewalk and tackled the person and heard a smash as his and their skull collided with the pavement.

"Sasuke-Chan!" Sakura screamed at the top of her lungs. "What the fuck are you doing, you asshole!"

"Sakura, I need you to get rid of the thingy!"

"Thingy?" She sat up and rubbed her head and looked at Sasuke, who she was pretty sure there were three of him. "Your baby?"  
"No shit!"

"Sasuke, you just can't!" She pleaded. " In fact, I don't know how you could possibly do that anyway!"

She said, her hands knitted together in a pleading signal. "Your a guy and its very confusing! I keep going over my notes over and over and over and over and over but it doesn't make sense!" She started pulling at her hair but Sasuke could care less.

"What about Tsunade?!? He urged impatiently."

"Tsunade gave up a long time ago, Sasuke." Phewf, there were only two Sasuke's in her eyes now. But she was pretty sure she had some degree of a concussion. "She says that your to hard to deal with. Your officially my 'experiment', Sasuke-kun." Sasuke scowled.

"Experiment? That's sick!"

"ME? I'M SICK? YOUR THE ONE WHO SLEPT WITH YOUR OWN BROTHER AND ARE CARRYING HIS CHILD!"

"WHAT THE FUCK?"

But Sakura had senses like a wild animal. Before he could either interrogate or kill her, she shoved Sasuke off of her and ran into her house.

"I HATE YOU SAKURA!"

Sasuke slammed his head against the stone wall and trekked silently home to Naruto, who he had, surprisingly, forgotten all about.

* * *

No one ever knew Itachi was there, standing in the shadows of the life he wished to live.

_Someday, some day I promise to you that I'll show you what it feels like. I promise I'll take you around the world, Itachi._

It was Sauske. He was on Naruto's thoughts right now as he tossed in bed. Sauske made him run his fingers through his hair. Sasuke made him sweat when it was cold outside. Sasuke made him smile when he looked at the number in his cell phone, blinking. Sasuke's voice made him shiver. It was Sasuke who made him happy.

Itachi was left, in the end, with no one.

_Do you believe in what you see? What would you give to taste it, Tachi-chan?"_

How much did Itachi want to touch his hair? Make him think that it was okay? Wrap his arms around his neck and drink in his smell? He would give anything. He was pretty sure he'd give his life for a kiss.

The raven-haired felt his cheeks redden as he crouched outside the window, the cold air encasing him like a wall away from his love. Soft music like drumming fingers could be heard, but only to Itachi, the music of the broken heart. Itachi was the only one who wasn't deaf to it.

"What do we do when the pain is gone?" Slim, pale fingers brushed against the window pain. "Do we sit in the dark and wait for the sadness to swallow us up until there is nothing left?"

_Someday I'll make sure your not afraid of the world. Some day I'll make it so we can both laugh and laugh in the wind._

How he wanted to feel that kiss! How it hurt to take it away! _Your not a child Itachi. You can control yourself._

"After the pain is gone, there is suppose to be love." Itachi hated the feeling that made him want to be close to the other. He had sat at many a bar and taken home many a man and women, hoping it was only lust. Lusting like a beast with uncontrollable emotions. But no. When he felt another's kiss on his lips his heart burned like it was being torn into pieces. He was in _love_.

Itachi almost left as he saw Sasuke slamming the door and running up the stairs. He saw them hug and kiss and Naruto smile. It made his heart ache, but a smile spread across his face through the swell of tears that ran silently down his face. If he learned anything that night, was that he loved it when Naruto smiled too.

* * *

Naruto didn't know how he got here.

Quite honestly, he didn't care. He just wanted to get out of what he was sure to be a living hell. The last two hours had been totally embarrassing, awkward, tearful, emotional, and enraging. But somehow he _was_ here, holding the hands of each Uchiha boy, hair soaked in _blue Gatorade_ and clad in his (gulp) heart-patterned boxers Sasuke had gotten him for Christmas.

"So it all started with Sasuke wanting an iguana and Itachi made fun of him? Is that it? Now we can work past it, right guys? We're all adults, right...guys?"

"It wasn't the fucking iguana, it was before that, you asshole!"

Itachi was totally glomping his left shoulder and sobbing into his arm while Sasuke kept screaming in his ear ridiculous poems, some he knew, some he made up on the spot and telling Naruto how much he loved him.

The strangest part was that nobody was drunk.

And somewhere, in the blurry background was Neji and Gaara, who had stopped long ago playing Othello, or their perverted version of Othello anyway, and were now taking digital pictures. That's when Naruto started screaming at the top of his lungs.

* * *

**...TWO AND A HALF HOURS EARLIER...**

* * *

**Heh-heh,**

**Told you it was stupid. But you want to know what happens, right??? RIGHT??? Reveiw. Please.**

**-BankotsuChick**


	16. The one who's standing with you, its me

**HEY! BANKOTSU CHICK HERE! ( :**

**This is one _explosive_ chapter! You get to find out who the father of Sasuke's baby is, and MORE AKATSUKI MEMBERS are in this too! I hope you like Deidara, Kisame and Sasori! **

**REVEIW! **

**I WANT 70-75 if you want another update! Share with your friends, family and lovers!**

**-BankotsuChick**

* * *

Itachi didn't believe his eyes.

Blink once, no twice, three times and it didn't disappear. There was only one explanation. It was real.

_Amazing,_ he thought. _After everything I've done to you, you do this for me?_

Itachi knew this was his last time, last chance to win his the blonde back. If something happened, Sasuke getting in the way, Naruto's friends, whatever there names were, being against him as well or even it being Itachi's fault could destroy it.

But for now, there was some one who liked him, and maybe, maybe if Itachi prayed and held on tightly, he wouldn't lose him again. He scampered through the hotel room where he had been staying the past few days and charging it to his business (Akatsuki) card, looking through his possessions. There was nothing! Nothing vaguely expectable. No good clothes, not even his favorite shampoo.

But there was no time. He had two and a half hours until his life changed forever. He turned on the shower but flinched slightly as his pale skin turned rosy with color at the intense heat. As he let the water drip over his face, he felt something wriggling in his chest like his heart was alive, his insides aching with feeling.

Wait...feeling? Itachi could feel something? He smirked, feeling nostalgia pound through his veins.

_"Your an awfully confident man, Mr. Uzumaki."_ It was the truest thing Itachi had ever said, and the only thing he had really believe. The message Naruto had sent him was still blinking clearly in his mind as if it was engraved there, riddled with spelling mistakes.

It didn't matter if he was crying anymore, it didn't matter at all. But if he was, it meant he was happy, not sad. The tears, the water. It was so human, so unlike Itachi Uchiha.

The problems, the fear, they were over.

"After the pain is gone, there's suppose to be love..." Naruto had been right. Maybe he was starting to believe.

**Ita-kun**

**  
Come ovr at 3pm l8r on, will be fun.**

**-N

* * *

**

"I can't believe he invited Itachi. That's just asking for trouble, if you ask me." Gaara mumbled as he sat on the couch.  
"It's ridiculous, I know. After all the things he's done to them too..." Gaara nodded. "You think he knows how to play Othello?" Neji asked. Gaara looked up from his news paper and Neji clutched the game in his hands.

"What do you think, honestly?"  
"I don't know! But if he does," Neji growled, fuming. "I might leave you for him! A _nice,_ _strong_ guy who can play games!"  
"I can play games...just not Othello. Plus, all Uchiha's are total ukes."

Neji shoved it in his face, and Gaara forcefully pushed it away. Neji looked heartbroken, but determined as hell.  
"What ever," He said pretending to be defeated. "Don't act like a bastard over there. We promised to be nice and friendly and talkative." There was a moment of silence.

Then, both of them burst out laughing.

"Hey hottie! Free ramen if you go out with me!" Called out a ramen-shop owner, winking at a tall blonde with their thick locks tied in a pony-tail. They stopped short, clenching their bandaged hand and then, surprisingly, relaxed from the earlier look of bloodlust. Strange, the man thought his eyes darting to the red haired boy beside them. Is that her boyfriend? He thought, suddenly afraid. These people were frightening looking and gave off an dark aura that almost made him shake. Though he couldn't ignore the pretty face, he was starting to regret his choice of words.

"Sure, yeah!" Chimed a _masculine_ voice. Oh. No. Words were exchanged with his companion. Even weirder, he thought to himself, they were clad the same, long, ominous cloaks with red, almost bloody clouds drifting in the folds of the fabric. They looked the man who was shark-like, the one who had passed by earlier.

"I'll go out with you, yeah!"

"...no, that's alright, really!" He had made a terrible mistake and before he knew it, he was being dragged into the back room of his own shop.

"Forget the ramen, yeah!"

"No, sir-"

The red-haired boy who bore a striking resemblance to one a few miles away playing Othello, tapped his foot. It was dangerous being out in the open, but these people were blind. Blind to the dangers, the fingers of the puppet master working the strings. Cat's waiting to slit the throats of feeble, little mice.

He whipped out a phone, glad that he finally carried one, all of his partners now did, except the one they were looking for. He seemed to be abandoning his duties and it was wrong, it was not what you did. He was making a grave mistake, life threatening.

"Shit!" The red-haired boy cursed, almost flinging his phone to the ground. But no, he wouldn't attract attention, not now when his talons were right around the mousse's nick, feeling the jugulars. He was sure he heard a small explosion when a confident looking feminine-esque boy skipped out, the bandages on his arms torn and strewn with blood.

"That was fun, yeah! Now let's go, I'm hungry, yeah."

"He offered you ramen, you should have taken that up."

The blonde scowled and proceeded to strangle him

"Dei-chan," He sputtered, face returning to normal color. "...this is no time for playing! We have work to do!"

* * *

Sakura still felt like she had been hit with a Mac truck when she walked into her car, her coffee sloshing all over her files that rested in a clump over her arm.

"Damn it!" She was in a terrible mood, her mother suffocating her with the wedding being pushed back to a few weeks from now and she was barley able to help out with all the work she had to do, leaving Lee tired as well all hours of the day. But she still loved him and they would work past it. Eventually.

"Hello?" She said dully when she answered her cell. "Ino?"  
"Yes, hi." The blonde whispered. "Hey, those ever-wanted test results for Sasuke's kid are in."

Sakura wasted no time and slammed on the accelerator.

* * *

Kakashi had only decided to answer his phone because the person who was calling seemed to be very, very determined and at this point, Kakashi was annoyed.

"What!" He snarled.

Sakura was taken aback.

"K-kakashi-sensei?" Kakashi immediately blushed. He had assumed it would be Naruto or even worst, Itachi.

"Oh, Sakura!" He said, trying to be in a better mood. "Nice to chat."

"Very." She rushed, kind of sarcastically. "But just to let you know, the test results are in." The silver haired jounin knew exactly what she meant. This was his last chance with Sasuke. If the baby wasn't his, he didn't know what he would do. He wouldn't have anybody and Sasuke would never love him.

"Well, at first we thought the father was Itachi-san." She confessed.

"What?!?" Kakashi gasped. "Itachi?" No. That was sick, and they hated each other. Unless...Kakashi shuddered.

"Oh don't worry, Kakashi." She calmed his raging nerves. "It was a cheap trick using some ninjutsu and a fake report. Itachi's just being the cold, heatless bastard he's known for being!" She gave a small laugh, but Kakashi was silent.

_That's a heartless bastard I made out with, _He thought and ran a hand through his hair.

"So..." He mumbled. "Mind giving me the news...?"

"Not at all, don't worry, I have them right here." She took a moment to look them over herself, witch made Kakashi feel like hopping up and down

"Oh Kakashi." She whispered sympathetically. "It's not yours, it's-" In that instant, Kakashi hung up. It wasn't fair.

He phoned Iruka right away.

"Kaka-san?" Iruka said to Kakashi. "You sound awful. I'll be there right away." Kakashi hung up again and lay his head on the table, his hands shaking.

For the first time in a very long time, he began to cry.

* * *

"Hmmm-hmmm..." Neji sat idly on the couch, humming to himself quietly as he bent over, picking up shiny white and black pieces off the floor. "I don't get it. Why am I in love with such an asshole?"

Gaara could have cared less about Neji and his rambling.

"I dunno. Your the Hyuuga genius. Othello's stupid. Get over it."

"But Gaara-kun!" Neji hissed. "I love it!"

"More than me?" He said sarcastically, waiting for a fiery response.

"Yes!" He chuckled knowingly and flung and arm around Neji's neck, pulling him closer. Neji blushed and pushed him away.  
"Get offa me!"  
"Oh come on. I don't like it and I don't know how to play, either. It's life." Neji stopped dead in his tracks, eyes swelling to twice there size.

"...y-you don't?"  
"Nope." Gaara took a sip of coffee. "I don't get it."

Neji grabbed the phone off a table and speed dialed Naruto and Sasuke.  
"...hey guys. It's us. We're gunna be a little late."

* * *

Naruto was sitting in the car, watching Sasuke sulk as he crossed his arms. _Hey, don't glare at me. You insisted on you coming, not me, Sasuke-chan._

"That was Neji and Gaara on the phone." He informed the sulking raven-haired boy. "They'll be fifteen minutes late."

"Fine. What ever, I don't care."

"Sasuke! Lighten up! Your in such a bad mood lately!"

"I don't like kids." Naruto smiled sympathetically and took his eyes off the road at the red light.  
"Oh not that again. Sasuke, give it a chance."

"Your acting like it's a recreational activity, Naruto. I'm still unsure. It doesn't feel right..."

"Of course it doesn't! Your a guy!"

Sasuke was silent.

"...strip Othello should be fun, eh?" Naruto tried to make conversation with Sasuke. His eyes widened and he sat up.  
"No!"

"Come on! Lighten up! We'll probably end up seeing a movie anyway."

"I hope."

"Sasuke, you like Neji and Gaara. It'll be fun." He mussed up his lover's hair for emphasis.

"Hey! I worked forever on my hair! No touching!" Sasuke snapped irritably.

"...at this point you might as well get a sex change." He fired back.

Sasuke was_ not_ amused.

* * *

Sakura Haruno had been surprised when Kakashi had hung up on her, but it was probably a normal reaction.

_He's been crushed._ Sakura thought as she phoned Neji. She couldn't wait, thought she was guilty when she admitted it, for the Hyuuga's reaction.

"Neji?" The brunette had picked up on the second ring.

"...hey. How's life treating you?"

"Great," She replied but getting right to the chase. "But the test results are in."

"I'll be there ASAP." The Hyuuga gasped and hung up. Sakura was a little disappointed. Everyone always hung up on her.

* * *

"The test results are in!" Neji shouted to Gaara as he ran out the door. Gaara was left gaping at the white-eyed boy who was leaving without any warning. He felt a pang of jealously, but paid no notice. He wouldn't know what to do if the baby was Neji's. Or if he could stay with him.

"But what about Sasuke and Naruto! We're suppose to be there in fifteen minutes!"

"I'll only be five!" He shouted back, slamming the door.  
Gaara sighed. Sometimes Neji could be so naive. He heard him smashing on the elevator button and then charging down the stairs.

Gaara looked at the keys he had forgotten, shook his head and returned to the newspaper.

* * *

It was cold outside, so Naruto shut the window as soon as he got home and turned up the heat. He had just began to unload the groceries he had gotten when Sasuke ran upstairs to get changed.  
"I'll be down soon, don't worry." Sasuke shouted behind him. "I'll hurry."

_Take your time,_ Naruto thought grimly, remembering the engagement he had made prior, about an hour ago when he sent that text message to Itachi.

As he was taking some sort of frozen thing that Sasuke had bought out of the bag and putting into the freezer, there was a ring. A deep, dark ring to Naruto even though Sasuke heard it as a sweet bird-like noise.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Sauske yelled, running down the stairs, but Naruto caught him in a embrace, lips locking in a passionate kiss that lasted for about ten seconds.  
Sasuke broke away blushing furiously.

"Naruto-kun!" He panted. "Let me answer the door!"

"No! You have to get dressed!" It was true, Sasuke was in a par of boxers and a muscle tee, and though he looked outrageously sexy, it might not appeal to Itachi. As he gazed at Sasuke's spectacular figure, he couldn't believe that the tiny little guy was carrying a child. But mostly, it was the guy part. Somehow he couldn't really see his gay, male lover as a parent.

"Oh fine! Geez, you're pushy!" He hissed and stumbled back up the stairs. When he got there, he flopped on his back and looked up on the shadows that flocked across the ceiling like birds.

Sasuke sighed and slid of his bed and decided through piles of pants, what would look best when he was fifty pounds heavier. The thought alone made Sasuke crave to go on a diet. He lifted up his thin white shirt, running a small pale hand against his flat, toned abs.

"Damn you, damn you to hell."

Meanwhile, Naruto started to walk slowly down the stairs where he knew Itachi was waiting. As he buttoned his shirt, he figured it would take about a minute for him to get to the door and greet the eldest and one of last remaining Uchihas with a bright, sunny smile though it might feel like hours.

:59

Itachi stood at the thresh hold, checking his reflection carefully in the reflection of the doorknob. His slick hair was to die for, his pale skin perfect and his choice of clothing couldn't be better.

:50

Naruto sprinted through the kitchen to waste more time. He knew this could be absolutely disastrous but it could also be great for Sasuke, for Itachi, and, he thought with a genuine smile, his baby.

:40

He undid a few buttons, took a breath, changed his eyes to a pearly black in a blink and prepared to see Naruto again.  
:30

Itachi's heart seemed to skip a beat just thinking about it.

:20

"Naruto-kun, hurry up..." Sasuke paced back and forth, running to the full length mirror for the fifth time, in a black pair of jeans.

:18

Naruto knew that Sasuke was short tempered and had the patience of a six year old but for once, he prayed that Sasuke would listen to him.

:15

But he couldn't be more wrong.

:13

Itachi knocked politely for the second time, wondering what could be taking his crush and his brother so long to answer. Did they not want to see him? Itachi could, though, imagine why.

:10

Sasuke was jumping up and down. Why could Naruto not want him to see?  
:9

Naruto felt his cool hands touch the door way. His tan skin and golden hair glistened in the light of the afternoon, but he couldn't help but wish that Itachi wouldn't still love him.

:8

Itachi's heart leapt when he saw the door handle start to turn.

:7

Sasuke couldn't take it anymore. He threw on a pair of pants and a light blue blazer and sprinted down the winding steps with anticipation.

:6

Naruto could see the elder Uchiha with his hands behind his back. God, he was so innocent looking when he wanted to be and Naruto couldn't help but remember what had happened...the _last_ time Itachi had smiled at him.

:5

Sasuke could see there was a man standing in the door way but he couldn't see his face.

:4

_No!_ Naruto could almost scream but a painful smile still hung onto his lips.

:3

"You look great," Itachi mumbled quietly but casual. "Mind if I come in?"

"Of course not, Ita-san." He answered with a charming voice.

:2

Itachi? Sasuke's heart was racing. He shoved Naruto out of the way and was met staring into the cold black eyes of his brother, hate spiraling in his sharinghan, brother to brother, enemy to enemy, Naruto the bridge that brought them together.

:1

"Itachi!" Sasuke screeched.

"...well hello, brother." Itachi said, cocking his head to one side and giving a smile, a terrible all-knowing smile. "Looks like I was right; we would meet again, in another life."

:0

* * *

Neji was running like a madman, dashing thought the street at an inhuman speed.

_Come on, Hyuuga! Five minutes! You told Gaara you'd be five minutes!_

His hair seemed to seep with sweat and there was something on his jacket from when he took that spill over by his apartment so many blocks ago, but he didn't care. When a ninja like that had his mind set, there was nothing anyone at all could do to stop it. The car keys were gone, long gone, back at the apartment where he had been to impatient to go back up the stairs and get them.

He stopped, panting at the threshold of the Konoha Medical Center, and gazed into the door way where Sakura was sitting at her desk with a confused look on her face.

_Oh Neji-kun, you'll be so happy._ She thought, smiling as she saw Neji walk through the door. _This is just what you want._

"Hey." She said though the Hyuuga thought she was being much to casual. This could be ending his life as he knew it and she was smiling.  
"H-hi..." Neji panted. "So..."

"So..." There was a silence and Sakura laughed awkwardly. "I'm glad your so worked up, Neji-kun. This is exactly what you wanted."

Neji's heart skipped a beat. He was relieved, more than relieved. He sighed, fingered the cash in his pocket. "Thank god." _Thank god I don't have to use this..._

"Well, if we're on the same page, why don't you go tell Gaara the good news?"

"Of course." Neji grinned. "And Naruto too. Him and Sasuke are coming over today."  
She winced at Naruto's name.

"Well, Neji." She sighed. "Let me be the barer of bad news, for him, okay?" She smiled again and removed her hand from his shoulder.

"What are you talking about. Naruto would be thrilled to hear that Sasuke's kid is his." Sakura paused, looking Neji directly,

"Neji-kun..." Neji's eyes widened. "The father is you!"

* * *

A man who bore a striking resemblance to a shark stood by Itachi Uchiha's hotel sifting through his possessions.

"Itachi..." He mumbled, knowing from the moment Leader had sent him after Itachi that something had been terribly wrong. "I hope you haven't forgotten why you're here!" He gasped as he saw the missing nin's cell phone flung on the bed carelessly. Naruto? He couldn't fall for Naruto when he was suppose to capture him for the Akatsuki. Besides the shark man was pretty sure that Itachi wasn't gay, and not only that, was not stupid enough to fall in love with an enemy, much less fall in love at all. Kisame just hoped he had enough common sence.

* * *

**REVEIW! IF YOU HAVE SUGGESTIONS, E-MAIL ME!!! No mean reveiws either if you didn't like it!!! You'll never guess what happens next! **

**-BANKOTSU-CHICK**


	17. Sweet survival, eye to eye

**This chapter might be kinda annoying since it's mostly a filler. But it leads into what happens next, witch is totally unexpected. I want 75-80 reveiws, 90 if you're great, great people. **

**-BankotsuChick**

_

* * *

_

_"Someday...someday I'll show you the entire world!"_

_"Really? You'd do that for me, tachi-chan?"_

_"Yes. And someday, I'll be so big and strong that I'll rule the entire world too."_

_"And then...you would make mom and dad the best parents in the world, and they would love us more than anything and play with us all the time."_

_"Of course. And I would have nobody cry at all anymore. Everyone would be happy always."  
"But Ita-chan, nobody can be happy all the time. There has to be some sad people some time. Not every one is happy all the time because someone makes them sad."_

_"Your a smart boy Sasuke."_

_"..."_

_"..."_

_"Hey Itachi?"  
"Uh-huh?"  
"...when you rule the entire world, can you come by and see me sometimes? If your not here, I think I would be the saddest boy ever. But if you see me, if you see me. Maby then...just maby you can make the world happy because I'll be happy too. "_

_"Sasuke, don't worry about a silly thing like that! I'll always come and see you! I love you!"_

_"I love you too, aniki!"_

Sasuke didn't want to feel it, he didn't want it to take hold of him and make him weak.

Itachi was mercilious, feirce and emotionless.

Naruto's wonderful heart and generous soul was a waste on a man like that. It made Sasuke's eyes flicker with resentmet for his lover's kindness. Itachi was a lost cause. He found hate in happiness. Snapped the neck of a bird singing a lovley tune. Taking the laws of existance in it's self and turning life into death. Looked in the wrong places, solved all the wrong problems. Itachi Uchiha could and would turn off the light any second and drown his brother in darkness. In the blink of an eye, he will take Sasuke in his grasp, turning the boy's lover into an instant enimey.

"Aren't you going to say hello to me, Sauske? How about one for old times: _Hello Aniki! Nice to see you again! Will you take me out training with you tomorrow?"_ His voice was absolutley terrifying.

Itachi could see the fear in Sasuke eyes and it made his heart twinge slightly. He was in control, finally. The sprout of another sick mind game he was taught how to play a long time ago had germinated.

_Itachi! What are you doing? He's your brother, you love him._

But he payed no attention to the pained voice that echoed in his mind and chorused in his heart. In an instant, Itachi focused souly on his brother, his minipulating heart throbbing.

_You have to stop letting Shisui influence you. He's laughing at you from beyond the grave, Itachi. He was your best friend and you killed him. You are cursed, but you are gifted as well. You can't escape the magic, but you can break the spell._

Stop telling me what to do! I can live this way if I want to! I will take control of Sasuke, I will. He cleared his mind and thought:

_What will hurt Sasuke more than anything eles? What will make him cry like I felt when he kissed Naruto?  
_  
Itachi smiled pleasently and reached out a hand to touch his silent brother, making Sasuke flinch violently at the touch. Sasuke was frozen in his spot, locking cold eyes with Itachi, red beams of cool fire leaking into the air.  
"What's a matter, brother?" Itachi said smoothly. "I used to hold your hand, I used to hug you all the time."

"Sasuke..."

Naruto was stunned at what he was seeing. Normally, Sasuke would lash out violently, probably kill a few innocent bistanders and then act defeated for a week or so when he, evidently, lost.

But now Sasuke wasn't going to back down. Naruto would intervene in about a second, but he wanted to let the thing play its self out for a moment.

_Baby,_ Naruto thought. _You're the strongest person I've ever met. This is why I love you._

Sasuke had no expression on his face except for his eyes. His eyes were closed.

For a moment he thought Itachi was going to kill him, then kiss him. But Itachi was unpridictable as ever.

He watched Itachi take Sasuke's loose hair, still wet from his shower, and tuck it behind his ear. He watched Itachi lean in and feel a pine of jelousey when his face was less than an inch apart, breathing the same toxic air. He watched Itachi's perfect mouth and slender lips curve in a smile when he whispered into Sasuke's ear:

"So...why don't you do it?" He pulled away and watch Sasuke shiver. "Your such a defiant young man." He poked Sasuke in the forehead, kissed Naruto lightly on the cheek and smiled brightly at both of them.

"Itachi-san, w-why don't you sit down." He mumbled, still flustered. "I'll talk to S-sasuke for a m-moment."

"Yes, as you wish, Naruto-kun." He bowed, turned into the living room and smiled brightly, but ever-falsley, at Naruto.

At least it was over. At least no blood had been spilled...yet.

Itachi was one, sick and seriously fucked up bastard.

"Sasuke-chan, please listen to me." Sauske was silent. Naruto gulped. _I'm in trouble...I probably won't get any for a month!_ "I invited him because I wanted you two to make up."  
Sasuke snorted. His eyes, skillyfully playing with a devious sharinghan, looked up at him.

The defiance against Naruto tingled up his spine, came up to straiten his neck and stiffen his jawline.

"Is there no talking to you, baby?"

"Don't say baby."  
Naruto looked sadly opon his lover. He placed a temid hand, unsure of this caring movement, on Sasuke's unchanged stomach. Somewhere, some_how_ there was a life, a baby belonging to the person he loved most in the entire world that thrived inside of him. Sasuke swatted him away and glared.

"Fuck off, bastard."

They would get through it, they would, someday, some_how_.

"Sasuke, I'm doing it for all of _us_. I want us to be happy. Itachi trying to kill us won't do any good."

"How could you...how could you." He was trembling. Naruto didn't know weather to be afraid or not. He tilted Sasuke's chin but Sasuke turned his head.

"Sasuke-teme..."  
In that instant, Sasuke punched him. It wasn't a girly slap, or going easy at all. When Sasuke drew away, panting with fury, there was blood on his fist.

* * *

Itachi had gone into the bathroom to check his hair when he felt a vibration in his pocket.

_Ring, Ring, Ring_

He gasped at the name, wich brought back a flood of memories and things he was supose to be doing. Itachi glanced at Sasuke and Naruto through a crack in the door, wondering if they heard anything at all.

_Ring, Ring, Ring._

He knew what Naruto did to him, the darkness he set over his feeling's like a puppet.

"The worst kind of missing is having them stand right next to you and know you can't have them." He sighed, repeating old words he had heard long ago.

_Ring, Ring, Ring._

Itachi sighed a first, defeated sigh as he reached into his pocket and pulled out the phone, hearing a voice he had not heard in a while. He spoke in a hurry for he had very little time.

"Talk to me, Kisame."

* * *

Deidara was suprisingly quiet and still, Sasori noticed with suspicion. The red-haired boy watched the clay mold in his hands, into the shape of a unicorn. Small, but pretty. Then why did it make Sasori feel so sad?  
The hotel was quiet except for the occasional 'yeah', or 'that's right' from an artist cretiquing his own work and the soft summer sounds of Konoha. Sasori glanced out the window. The moonlight, the palid ripples of the ocean-side far away. This was somthing, some georgeous art, that would last forever.  
"It's so beautiful."

"Yeah..." He knew Deidara hadn't really heard what he had said and was probably talking to himself. "Look at this art, Sasori no danna!" He said whistfully. "This is beautiful too, see it? See it?"

"Yes, Dei-kun. I see it."

"Art is so beautiful, and short lived. You have to appriciate it while it _lasts_!"

In an instant it was gone in a small, fiery explosion. Thankfully, Sasori was always ready for such playful attacks. Faster than the clay had exploded, Deidara turned back to making somthing that looked like tuna, though it was probably supposed to be Kisame.

Kisame...It was late out, Sasori reflected, wondering why Kisame wasn't yet back at the hotel they were staying at. But it was alright, he was strong, and there was little reason to doubt that he _cared_ for Itachi just as Sasori cared for Deidara. But the shark-man would never admit such an act of caring.

_Somethings are better left unsaid, I suppose._ Sasori thought side glanced at Deidara

After twenty minutes of no speaking, no frustrated 'un!'s and no explosions, Sasori looked over at his partner. The man who could be so devious by day looked like an angel when he slept.

_I have been blessed by an angel...an angel who doesn't understant art very well...but an angel none the less..._

"Hey, Dei?" He spoke softly. "...you asleep?"

There was no reply but a hushed breathing. Sasori blew out the oil lamps.

"Good-night, Dei." He muttered, pushing aside mounds of Deidara's things. "Ugh your fucking clay..."

Deidara stirred and looked at him with half-open dark eyes. Sasori blinked in the dark.

"I wish you would appriciate my art and my clay, Sasori."

Sasori was silent as he heard Deidara turn over and face the other direction in a quiet sulk. The red-haired boy heard on more thing that night: The sound of his partner's persistant lecture.

"Our bodies are earth. Our thoughts are clay. We breath and sleep death."

Then, Sasori fell into unconciousness.

* * *

**REVEIW!!!!!!!! **

**(reveiw)**


	18. Someday I hope that I'll be free

**Hey, thanks for the 8 reveiws! I want 80 for the next chapter! This is mostly a filler, but hey, at least its entertaining.**

**-BankotsuChick**

* * *

Itachi had gone into the bathroom to check his hair when he felt a vibration in his pocket. 

_Ring, Ring, Ring_

He gasped at the name, wich brought back a flood of memories and things he was supose to be doing. Itachi glanced at Sasuke and Naruto through a crack in the door, wondering if they heard anything at all.

_Ring, Ring, Ring._

He knew what Naruto did to him, the darkness he set over his feeling's like a puppet.

"The worst kind of missing is having them stand right next to you and know you can't have them." He sighed, repeating old words he had heard long ago.

_Ring, Ring, Ring._

Itachi sighed a first, defeated sigh as he reached into his pocket and pulled out the phone, hearing a voice he had not heard in a while. He spoke in a hurry for he had very little time.

"Talk to me, Kisame."

Deidara was suprisingly quiet and still, Sasori noticed with suspicion. The red-haired boy watched the clay mold in his hands, into the shape of a unicorn. Small, but pretty. Then why did it make Sasori feel so sad?  
The hotel was quiet except for the occasional 'yeah', or 'that's right' from an artist cretiquing his own work and the soft summer sounds of Konoha. Sasori glanced out the window. The moonlight, the palid ripples of the ocean-side far away. This was somthing, some georgeous art, that would last forever.  
"It's so beautiful."

"Yeah..." He knew Deidara hadn't really heard what he had said and was probably talking to himself. "Look at this art, Sasori no danna!" He said whistfully. "This is beautiful too, see it? See it?"

"Yes, Dei-kun. I see it."

"Art is so beautiful, and short lived. You have to appriciate it while it _lasts_!"

In an instant it was gone in a small, fiery explosion. Thankfully, Sasori was always ready for such playful attacks. Faster than the clay had exploded, Deidara turned back to making somthing that looked like tuna, though it was probably supposed to be Kisame.

Kisame...It was late out, Sasori reflected, wondering why Kisame wasn't yet back at the hotel they were staying at. But it was alright, he was strong, and there was little reason to doubt that he _cared_ for Itachi just as Sasori cared for Deidara. But the shark-man would never admit such an act of caring.

_Somethings are better left unsaid, I suppose._ Sasori thought, side glancing at Deidara.

After twenty minutes of no speaking, no frustrated 'un!'s and no explosions, Sasori looked over at his partner. The man who could be so devious by day looked like an angel when he slept.

_I have been blessed by an angel...an angel who doesn't understant art very well...but an angel none the less..._

"Hey, Dei?" He spoke softly. "...you asleep?"

There was no reply but a hushed breathing. Sasori blew out the oil lamps.

"Good-night, Dei." He muttered, pushing aside mounds of Deidara's things. "Ugh your fucking clay..."

Deidara stirred and looked at him with half-open dark eyes. Sasori blinked in the dark.

"I wish you would appriciate my art and my clay, Sasori."

Sasori was silent as he heard Deidara turn over and face the other direction in a quiet sulk. The red-haired boy heard on more thing that night: The sound of his partner's persistant lecture.

"Our bodies are earth. Our thoughts are clay. We breath and sleep death."

Then, Sasori fell into unconciousness.

Neji had stormed in without Gaara into Naruto's apartment, playing with his cell phone and looking for his lover's number when it accidently snapped a picture. He cursed and looked at the screen, rubbing his eyes, not believing what he was seeing. Naruto was almost on the floor, blood pouring out of his nose, Sasuke's fist the only thing visible. He was sure someone had just sent it to him to be annoying and creepy as he scrutinized the image.

But sure enough when he ripped his eyes from the screen, Naruto _was_ lying on the floor bleeding, Sasuke was twitching and Neji had, infact, taken a picture.

"You've reached Neji Hyuuga. Please leave a message and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. _Click_."

Gaara fliched when he heard the answering machine and rushed out the door into the elevator.

"Shit." It had been fifteen minutes and they were suppose to be at Naruto's _now_! As he waited for the elevator, he thought over how far away the clinic was. Was it possible Neji was a really slow runner? Possible that he had hurt himself? No, he was Neji Hyuuga. That wouldn't happen to him.

_The only thing that would make him late was if...if..._

As he pressed the button again and again, he relized somthing and ran back into the appartment. He grabbed the othello game and rushed out the door, dashing down the stairs. He too, forgot the car keys.

Before Kakashi knew it, he was on the ground, rubbing his sore head from the violent collision.

"Gaara-kun?" He mumbled. "Fancy meeting you here." He looked up. They were right infront of Sasuke and Naruto's apartment.

"Yes, fancy indeed."

Kakashi stood up and brushed off his pants.  
"We both going to the same floor?"

Gaara snorted. "Where eles do we have to go these days?"  
Kakashi smiled for the first time in what felt like a very long time.

"Sasuke and Naruto sure are interesting people."

"I guess so."  
Gaara tapped his feet impationetley as they waited for the elevator, Kakashi adjusting his mask every few seconds.

"So why are you here?"  
"Probably the same reason you are."

"Probably."

"And what would that be?"  
Gaara blinked his cold emerald eyes and stared up at Kakashi.  
"Sasuke."

Just the name of his one-night lover made his heart skip a beat.

"And the..."

"Yeah." Kakashi beamed down at the game in the smaller boy's hands. He smiled again, though it couldn't be seen.

"Othello?"  
"Yep." The elevator was one floor away.

"So..."

"So."

"Do you know then?"  
Kakashi gulped.

"It's not me."  
"Well, I called Naruto earlier. I didn't tell him why, but I asked him if he had gotten a call from Sakura. He said no."

"That could only meen..." The jonin and the kaze boy exchanged a terrified glance. Just as the elevator opened with a beep, they dashed up the stairs.

* * *

Naruto couldn't believe what had just happened, infact he was still wondering if it was real. Unexplainable, powerful, ironic and almost...beautifully played out like a soap oprah. Blood was splattered on the floor from his nose, witch could have been broken but he didn't know yet, and he had just heard a cell phone go off. 

Itachi was kneeling over him, a hand reached out but too afraid to touch him. Sasuke's sharinghan was blinking on and off, and, then he turned a pale shade of green and ran into the bathroom. Neji was standing in the doorway shocked while all the more taking pictures.

"Hello?" Naruto was just picking himself up off the floor and getting a dish rag to mop up the blood when a voice he knew to be Gaara's fallowed by Kakashi's echoed through the door way. Itachi slunk away to another room while the Hyuuga boy answered the door and greeted both of them akwardly.

"What the fuck happened here!" Kakashi asked, astounded as Gaara dropped the othello game. Then, he relized, only reason for hate and bloodshed in Konoha these days was Itachi. "Is Itachi here?" He asked again, knowing probably that the beautiful Uchiha boy probably wasn't.

"Yeah..." Naruto muttered. "Infact, he is."  
"Oh god." Was all Kakashi had left to say.

Gaara bent down and helped Naruto up.  
"You okay? Was this Itachi's doing?" Gaara felt the hairs on the back of his neck bristel. "If you need me to, I'll kill him." In answer, Neji passed his phone to Gaara, who's green eyes widened, and then Kakashi, who's jaw dropped.

"S-sasuke?" Kakashi whimpered. "My Sasuke did _this_?" He couldn't help but deviously wish it was; then maby he'd have his chance with Sasuke again.

"No shit." Gaara answered for him. Neji glared and whispered 'by sympathetic!' in his ear. But the Hyuuga knew he was asking the impossible.

"Go check on Sasuke, will you?" Naruto asked as he took a tissue from Neji and held it to his nose. "...go to the bathroom and make sure that he's okay."_ He wasn't angry_, Itachi heard from the other room. _He really loves Sasuke_...

_More than he'll ever love me_...

Kakashi nodded and made his way through the living room where he was met face to face with Itachi Uchiha. They both swallowed, nodded to aknowledge eachother and quickly ran in the opposite direction.

_Itachi!_ Kakashi thought, terrified. _I should have never come here!_

Itachi's heart was thumping out of his chest. Maby he should just leave. Betray Naruto like he knew he should, leave Konoha and return to the Akatsuki and Kisame where he belonged. But Itachi wouldn't give up now. Not when Naruto was finally in the next room, finally nice to him, finally Itachi was almost able to touch him...and touch would become kiss, kiss would become affection, affection to love.

Then, Naruto would be his.

* * *

Sakura walked into the doorway when she found it open, she cautiosly listened to hear any voices. There were alot, infact, and blood all over the floor. She trembled when she heard Itachi's name, and her brow creased with confusion when she saw Neji come to mop up the blood. Kakashi was standing in the doorway next to Gaara, a perplexed look plastered to his face. 

"Hello?"  
Naruto, who was still holding some kind of tissue to his face, turned and greeted Sakura with a smile.  
"Hey Sakura-chan! Ouch, that hurts..." He mumbled, massaging his sore jaw.

"What the hell happened?" She asked, panicking slightly. If anyone was really hurt, she couldn't do much and they would expect her too, because she was in Medical School.

"Sasuke hit me. But I'm okay."  
"Rough relation ship, yeesh."

"I guess. But will you go make sure Sasuke's okay? He's in the bathroom, I think. He looked sick."  
"S-sure...I guess." She stuttered, stepping over the blood and weaving through Gaara and Neji.

"Sasuke-kun?" Sakura Haruno cracked open the door and peered inside to find Kakashi with his hand on Sasuke's shoulder.

"Are you alright?"

"God-dammit..." Sasuke muttered irritabley. "How many people are here? My two ex-lovers, three of my friends and my phycotic older brother? Great...just great." Her usually energetic, powerful former-team mate was looking pathetic and sounding it too. Sasuke was beyond white, he was sevral shades of green

"Kaka-sama..." Kakashi blushed through his mask. "Please, I'm okay. Lay off." He seethed.

"Please, if there's anything I can do, don't hesitate to ask."

* * *

"Who wants to play Othello?" Itachi whirled around and looked Neji strait in the eyes. He said one more thing before he fallowed Kakashi to get away from the chaos: 

"I love Othello!"

Neji was left gapping at the beautiful Uchiha boy who had come and gone, taking his breath with him.

* * *

**Yep, totally filler. I warned you ( Is this chapter severly formatted wrong? Oh well, next chapter's the biggie.**

**-BankotsuChick**


	19. Why do we love? Its a celestial question

"Hello, Sasori." A voice mumbled, harsh, claws on sandpaper in a black room, speaking of death.  
Sasori was watching slightly amused as Deidara brushed his hair in the mirror, his creamy colored eyes flickering with anticipation.

"Did you speak with Itachi?" He asked, his tone hushed.  
"Who is it on the phone Sasori no danna, yeah?"

"Kisame."  
"Hi Kisame!" And the blonde Ninja turned back, now working on some clay animal that was scurrying around the room. A spider.  
"Yes. I did, and he's different." Kisame muttered. "He keeps reassuring us that he'll capture Naruto, but he doesn't seem to be doing that at all, if you get my drift."

Sasori nodded though he could not be seen.

"So what do you want to about it, Kisame. Call Leader-sama?" He proposed, twirling a whisp of his his thick burgudy hair around his finger.

"No," Kisame breathed, dark and forbading. "There's no need."

"Then what is it, Kisame?"  
Sasori and Deidara heard a sinister snicker.

"Let's go crash a party."

Naruto was half way through a game of Othello, only playing because of Neji's persistance, when Itachi sat down next to him. Itachi was sipping tea casually, quietly, an unreadable expression stretched across his face.

"Um..." Naruto knew he was being foolish, getting flustered for nothing. Itachi was playing him like cards now, and like he switched personallities, after seeing his brother Itachi had changed to the cold, unfeeling person he had first met, many years ago. He was no ordinary shinobi for sure.

"What happened to the Akatsuki?"  
"Nothing."  
"Just decided to take a vacation?"  
"I'm not on their leash."

"Yes, but everyone here hates you, Itachi-kun."

"Why should I care? They can hate me all they want. I'm still going to do the things I do until they have the guts to stop me."

"We should be fightening, shouldn't we?"  
"Yes. We should. Sasuke shouldn't be sick and I should be trying to kill you."

"Why aren't we?"

"I don't know."

Silence. Naruto was taken aback by Itachi's bluntness. So why weren't they?  
"How do I know your still keeping in touch right now with the Akatsuki? That our conversation isn't being taped and the room isn't bugged? How do I know the whole 'i like Naruto' thing isn't a ploy to capture Kyuubi?" Itachi was silent. Then, he spoke.  
"You don't." The Uchiha didn't meet his eyes. "And you have every reason not too."  
More silence. Itachi's eyes were fixed on the tea, thoughtfully, when he seemed to be focusing too much on somthing eles, somthing deep withen his mind that Naruto couldn't see. This was too casual. He was sitting on a couch with Itachi Uchiha...how many times would this every happen?

It must be a blue moon, Naruto thought. Because now, I'm helping Itachi clean tea off his shirt. He spilled on perpous, I think. Or it might be because it's scalding hot. What am I doing? I should stay as far away as possible. Sasuke's right. I'm such a bastard. Uh-oh...my hands are on either side of him; I sure don't look like a guy who's committed. More or less with a pregnant spouse. Look at Itachi. He's not even blushing. He sure is acting different.

"Naruto what the fuck are you doing!"

Fuck. Now there's blue stuff in my hair. And on my pants. In my shirt. On my face. Sakura-chan sure looks angry. It's cold. How much was she drinking? She's holding a glass, it's still half-ful. It smells sugary, it's gross. Itachi's not even making an effort to move. He's enjoying every minute.

"Sakura-san!" Naruto yelped as soon as the liquid seeped from his shirt to his skin, tingling and icey. Was that an ice cube, on the couch? Sasuke would have a fit, and Neji too. There's some on his Othello board. Gaara hasn't even turned his head.

"What are you doing! Don't touch Itachi-kun! Your lover is sick and _pregnant_ and your fooling around! In public!" When they were talking about Sasuke, it was hard still thinking about him as a guy.  
"Gaara and I are hardly public, Saskura-san."  
"Shut up."  
"Sakura-san! Please be rational!" Naruto seethed, wringing out his shirt. "I was _helping_ Itachi!" Her eyebrows were still creased, but she knew how much Naruto loved Sasuke. It was the most powerful love she had ever seen.

"True." Neji put in, and elbowed Gaara for him to make a 'hn.'

"Alright, alright." Sakura looked as if she hadn't slept in weeks. "I've just barely given up on Sasuke. The person who has him better keep him safe."

Naruto nodded, Itachi slunk away shamlessly. He sighed, and whipped out his phone.

_Ring Ring..._

"I wonder if the baby will be a boy or a girl." He mused. "Hello? Hello, Kisame?"

There was no answer.

He phoned the inn they were supposedly and inconspicuously (though how inconspicuous could a 6ft shark man be...) staying and and tapped his foot as it rang repetitively.

"Hello, Konohagurea Inn!"

"Yes, Can I please have room..." He rummaged in his pocket and dug for a slip of paper. "Room 43?"  
"Sure on moment, Sir." There was a pause. "Oh, I'm sorry. There not here, but they left a message incase someone named...Regohi-kun called. Are you him." Itachi breathed another sigh at his alias. Anyone who heard the name Itachi Uchiha would call the ANBU and run for the hills.

"Hai."  
He was put on hold for a breif minute.  
"They said that 'they would be there', does that ring a bell? Hello, sir?"  
Itachi had hung up.

Itachi could fall in love for a minute, or fall in love for a lifetime. He could also fall in love with anyone. Was it a coincidence it was Naruto? Could it have been anyone at all?

This shouldn't hurt as much as it did, selling Naruto out for the Akatsuki.

He felt tremors ripple through his body as his Mengekyou Sharinghan flickerd in the afternoon light.

"How did he even know it was real?" Itachi mumbled to himself. That was a good question. "I don't know how. All I know is that it is."  
And that I can't go through with this.

The blonde had just ran upstairs to find a change of clothes. It was great, like a huge, suffocating weight having to deal with Sasuke. Maybe it would be better if the child wasn't his...No, he loved Sauske, he loved their baby.

"I feel so guilty..." He sighed, peeling off his wet tee-shirt and unbuttoning his pants, slidding them off his golden skin and toned calves. Naruto reached for his new, clean shirt but it was gone. He blinked once, no twice.

"Looking for these?"  
The face, he was beautiful, but he wore the same cloak as Itachi...

"Who the fuck are you?" _And please give me my pants back!_

"Oh, sorry." He smiled politely. A few moments ago Naruto had taken a guess at him being a man, but now he was sure when he heard the voice. "My name is Deidara, yeah, of the Akat-"

"-suki?" _Oh shit... _"Akatsuki?"

Naruto's heart was breaking the speed limit.

"Yeah, that's right. My name's Deidara. But you can call me Dei-chan!"

_Or_, Naruto thought, a cloud of dread hanging over him. _My worst nightmare._


	20. Kyaa Kyaa I finally updated

O

M

G

IT's BEEN SOOOO LONG! Thanks to all my faithful readers who still put up with me. glomps This is a short one, but I'm back on track!!!

-bankotsuchick

* * *

This is terrible. Just terrible.

There was no other word for Kisame Hoshigaki in all those entire languages (he knew twenty-four, including Icelandic. He was afterall a wanted dead-or-alive ninja) to describe both Deidara for being such a conspicuous prick and the current situation. Itachi, you dumb fuck. You dumb, dumb, fuck.

"Hatchico-san? Hatchi-kun?"  
Kisame sighed heavily into the line, feeling pressure build around him until he could barely breath.

"Kisame-kun?" Sasori's voice was firmilliar, but dissapointing as ever. Why Kisame was the only one sane enough to use their alias was beyond him. Phone lines _could_ be tapped and they were beyond that age of rice hats and dark cloaks. Every one was oblivious but Itachi-chan.

_Itachi-__**chan? **__Who am I kidding, Itachi-__**sama**__?. That guy owns me; My body, my heart, my soul._

"So nice to hear from you, teme." Kisame fumed, barely containing his fury. "Your dumbass partner totally blew it."

"...'Blew it' or 'blew it up'?" Sasori laughed quietly to himself over the line, like fingernails on a chalkboard.

"Hah, funny!" Kisame hissed. "Sasori-san, you need to take the Akatsuki seriously. We all have a commen goal that you're fucking up."

"...I'm sorry. I'm just finding that you are taking this too seriously. Naruto Uzimaki is a kid, Kisame, a kid. Like what, seventeen years old? He can barely drive, let alone kill us."

"You're overestimating you're self."

"You're overestimating him."

Kisame said nothing.

"Plus, I heard because of some fucked up reason, he knocked up that Uchiha."

The fishman's eyebrows furrowed. "The last Uchihas were both men, Sasori-san."

Sasori grinned over the line, slightly disgusted, Kisame could feel it.

"Yeah, I know."

"Oh god, I hope you're kidding. Don't correct me."

"Gotta go man, head over, I'm getting a ring from Dei-chan. Plan's started early I suppose."

"Wait-" Kisame remembered exactly why he called Sasori-it was gravely important. "-Sasori-kun, Please I must tell you that-"

Kisame Hoshigaki sighed. He would figure it out eventually.

Sasuke hadn't moved in fifteen minutes and he was starting to feel sore.

"This is absolutly awful." He had threatened everyone who had been crowding around him until they left and he finally had time to clear his head. Sasuke had never felt so sick and nautious, now lying on the black and white tile of the bathroom floor, resting his head on the toilet seat (he was very confsued to how little disgusted he was in himself) and laying his head in his hands.

It was chilly, witch suprised the raven haired boy quite a bit. He stood up on shaky legs and peered out the window witch looked right down at busy Konoha streets. The glass-side thermometer read eighty-two degrees, yet shivers were rippling down the base of his spine. He ignored it and sat down on the rim of the bathtub.

The hair on the back of Sasuke's neck was standing on edge and he placed delicate fingers on his flesh to calm himself.

"It's alright...Naruto-chan must have some kind of reason for this, I'm sure."

Of course he was sure. If Sasuke was sure of anything it was the love he and Naruto shared for eachother. But Itachi? Sasuke was feeling so damn rotten that he wasn't even at his brother's throat.

That had to say somthing.

"Oh god, I should probably call Sakura-chan..."

There was a sinister breathing from behind him. There must be somthing screwing with his senses, (fucking kid) Sasuke thought, because he hadn't heard anyone behind him.

_Please be Neji!_

"It's alright, Sasuke-_chan_...I'll take care of you." It wasn't anyone but the Hyuuga. Sasuke had only heard that sickening voice once before and he had never wanted to here it again.

"Oh...god..." Before Sasuke had time to whirl around, everything went black.

* * *

Kyaa! PLEASE REVEIW (

-bc


	21. Chapter 21

REVEIWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-bc

* * *

Itachi had never felt so many emotions mixing togather into a horrible, black combination.

"Sasuke-kun..." Itachi said to the masked man, reaching out for Kakashi's shirt coller colectivly when he tried to shuffle out of the room. "Is he alright?" He mused in a monotone voice that thrusted Kakashi-kun right back into the past. Hearing the sound of his unrequitted lover's name in the venomous voice of Itachi made him shiver. Itachi was just playing with him. He wasn't concerned at all. He was after somthing else.

"Why is he sick?"

"You know very well, Itachi-kun. You were never the dumb type, as I remember."

Itachi was silent.

_I'm not as smart as you think I am. I'm a man without a perpous, I'm afraid. No lover, no family (save Sasuke, who hates me) no future. I'm bound to die before turn twenty five.  
Pitiful._

* * *

Kisame breathed a sigh of relief, his rough voice etching through the silence. 

"Itachi-kun, Itachi-kun, please answer!" The shark-man was starting to panic now, his moment of colectiveness gone in a heartbeat. Sasuke was an extremely powerful ninja, no doubt, he could probably take out Kisame if he really tried, even in this state. All Kisame had before was the eliment of suprise, witch Sasuke clearly was hurting in.

"Itachi!" Kisame sighed. Finally! "Itachi-kun, you know the drill. Stop playing around with those useless little boys and get over here!"

"..." Itachi said nothing but Kisame knew him well enough as to be sure he was there.

"Deidara and Sasori are heading to Naruto's as we speak to create a distraction while you get your Uchiha ass over here. Sasuke's to ransom Naruto, you know that. We've been over it a million times."

"..."

"Itachi!" Kisame was starting to pace in circles. "You have to be here before Sasori and Deidara arrive!"

Itachi was clearly distracted because a moment later Kisame heard an ear-splitting cry over the line.

* * *

"W-what the hell!" _I have to go check on Sasuke! He might be in trouble!_ "Where are the others, I know you have a partner somewhere around here. What do you want...Deidara!" 

Deidara's smile was sly and cunning, working its way over Naruto's frame, stiffening the blonde's entire body and sending shivers dancing up and down his spine.

"We're here for..." Deidara paused like he forgot, but no Akatsuki member would be so clueless, at least Naruto believed to be true. "You!"

As I feared, Naruto swallowed.

"Rasengan!"

* * *

Kakashi Hitake heard everything; the ninjutsu cried from Uzimaki; (as did everyone in the apartment) and turned to Itachi, flashing on his Mangekyou Sharingan. Itachi, it seemed, was as calm as ever. 

"Don't move, Itachi."

"What, you don't trust me?" He was being as sincere as Kakashi could tell. "You kissed me; that has to say for something." Only saying the absolute truth. No lies that the jonin could work through.

"Don't move. I really dont want to get into a fight with you."

Itachi sighed as he felt a phone vibrating in his pocket and reached for it..

_Kisa, damn you!_

That was all Kakashi needed. In an instant, Itachi Uchiha was thrown to the floor, kunai to his throat.

* * *

"Should we do somthing, Gaara-kun?" Neji asked quietly tencing. Gaara shook his head. 

"I'm about to win!" He flashed a feindish grin and he flipped over Neji's Othello pieces.Neji didn't know weather to kill Gaara or flip over the board and pretend it never happend.

In a second, the two boys-who were usually against public affection- embrassed in a passionette kiss on the arm of Uzimaki's couch, neither seeming to care that there were explosions, people screaming and chaos all around them.

* * *

"Kakashi Hitake I am aware you are a very powerful ninja-" A stunningly gorgeous raven haired boy said as calmly as possible. He wasn't afraid; he saw Kakashi coming a mile away; the Uchiha was just determined to see how it would play out. Itachi's breathing was a little out of synch, but it was only normal after being pinned by an opponent. His pale, slim wrists were being clutched by Kakashi's strong, masculine hands and his raven locks were splayed across the beige carpeting. Through thick black eyelashes, even darker eyes blinked nonchalantly up at the older jonin. It was almost suffocating; the other's toned body pressed against his thin frame. 

Kakashi said nothing but his thoughts were racing.

* * *

Naruto dashed down the stairs once he was sure that a thick cloud of smoke and debris had confused his enimies thinking. 

_I have to protect you, Sasuke!_

"Kakashi-kun! Gaara-kun, Neji-chan!"

Neji pulled himself from the sand-nin's protective grasp and stared up at the blonde, fully tenced.

"Where's Sasuke! Where is he!"

"The...t-the last time I saw him, he was in the bathroom!" Neji flew to the room and called back terrified:

"He's gone!"

Naruto wasted no time, walked right up to Itachi, pulled him from Kakashi's threatening grip and brought the elder Uchiha right up to him until they were nose-to-nose.

"You bastard! You're going to tell me where Sasuke is right now!"

That would be the only-and last time- any one would ever see Itachi Uchiha cry.

* * *

Sakura clentched her fists and flew up the stairs twards where Naruto had came from. 

_I'll protect you Sasuke-kun!_

Deidara had never been more pleased with himself.

Not when he got Sasori to acknowledge a peice of his art.

Not when he made a life-sized Zetsu out of clay.

Never.

"That Naruto Uzimaki's a cute kid, Sasori-kun. You should meet him, he's really interesting. That attack was pretty powerful but I can tell he was worried about Sasuke. By the way, have you spoken to Kisame?"

Sasori put the phone to his shoulder as he made sevral handsigns.

"Yes. It's a sucess. But now you come in, Dei. Get Itachi out of here. Kill anyone who gets in the way...Deidara?"

"..._click_. _Beep."_

Deidara smirked at a terrified pink-haired kunoichi stunned infront of him.

"Kill anyone who gets in the way?" Deidara rolled up his sleeves. "Yes Sasori-no-danna..."

* * *

kyyaa kyaa sorry about the filler. Its going to get interesting soon, i promise! 

-bankotsuchick


	22. Chapter 22

This chapter's for deidara, who was killed by Sasuke this friday!

-bc

* * *

Sasori sat on the roof of the apartment complex, staring at the raven haired boy in the arms of his compainion.

"Jeez, be careful. If you're lugging him around like a sack, he's gunna wake up."Sasori tried to hold in a laugh. "And if that doesn't work, that fish-stench will!"

Kisame glared fiercly, set down his package and whipped out his phone to call Itachi.

It went strait to the machine.

_Oh no..._Kisame panicked as Sasori watched him pace around.

_Naruto is making him regret this._

_Sasori could care less about everything/_

_Deidara's screwing up left and right, to his oblivion._

_And Itachi...well..._Kisame shuddered at the thought.

* * *

"You heard me, Itachi!" Naruto growled, watching Itachi's eyes redden (not having anything to do with Sharingan) and well with liquid. "Tell me where he is!"

"I don't know anything, Naruto-kun!" The black-haired nin squeezed his eyes shut. _I don't want you to think that I'm weak! I want you too like me more than anything! Why would I hurt Sasuke?_

"...yes you do! You have to know!" Itachi felt the blonde weaken with defeat. He turned around, eyes blazing with fury. Itachi had never seen anything like that before in anyone. A hallow look of hatred and dispise warped togather and a shallowness in his spirit like his kind heart and cheerful disposition were stripped away from him along with Sasuke.

"Kakashi! Don't let this bastard out of your sight!" The blonde shoved Itachi out of the way carelessly into Kakashi's hands.

"Neji! Gaara!" Naruto snarled, the cerulean in his eyes flashing with red. _The fox chakara! You better watch yourself, Akatsuki!_ "...get over here! I need you to come with me. Kaka-kun, stay here!" Kakashi nodded.

"What are you going to do?"  
"I'm going to find Sasuke, dumbass!"

Naruto dissapeared in a flash along with the Hyuuga and Sand ninja.

"Gomen, Kaka-kun...Tsukoyomi!"

* * *

_"Itachi-chan!?...what are you doing here?" Sasuke asked, slightly bewildered. "Are you alright? Can I get you somthing, aniki-chan?" Where's the hate? Where'd the anger? Is it gone like the past?_

_"It's okay Sasuke-kun. I'm your big brother, I'm suppose to take care of you."  
"...hnn."_

_Sasuke sat down on the porch and stared up at a porcelen blue sky. It was dying in the west but it seemed they were still savoring it._

_"Can you take me out training tomorrow?"  
"I'll take you out training tomorrow, I promise."  
"Really? You promise?"_

_"Uh-huh. Really." Aniki smiles._

* * *

"...huh...Naruto-chan?" Sasuke mumbled, blinking his eyes open slowly. Why had he dreamed about Itachi? The suface below him was cirtainly not his bed or the couch; probably the bathroom, he remembered being there last. He picked up his head (god it was heavy) and rest it on his shoulders, finding it extremly difficult to move. _What are these, chains?_ No, not exactly. They were more like ropes, binding his arms behind his back._  
_As he opened his almond, ebony eyes, Sasuke was met face to face with a blue fish-faced man with rows of pointy, yellow teeth curved into a devious smile.

"Hello, Sasuke-chan. Glad you're awake..."

* * *

Sakura had never seen a boy like this in her entire life, and she had met Itachi Uchiha. Nobody she had come across in her years had eyes so terrifying yet careless, so smart yet so oblivious. One thing was for sure, if she didn't do somthing right about now, she was going to die.

* * *

Neji almost felt bad. He couldn't give a fuck about Sasuke right now. Sasuke was an Uchiha for god's sake, and he could handle himself.

If Gaara ever got this overprotective like Naru-chan, he would have to slaughter him where he stood. Neji almost felt bad as he lept onto the highest rooftop and squinted his eyes through the buffering winds. Almost.

"Hey, what's you're name, yeah?"  
Sakura had absolutly no idea what was going on.

"Did you just ask me..."

"I want to know your name before I kill you, yeah." The blonde yawned loudly, sat down on Sasuke's bed and started chewing on his finger nails. "Come on, you can do that for me, right?" He looked so bord that Sakura was insulted. He dug around in his pocket before coming across a black comb with his name engraved in gold and started to run in through his stunningly beautiful locks.

"What are you doing here..." She squinted at the name on the comb, after all, they were about four feet away. "Deidara-baka."

"Like you have the right to call me stupid." He mused, only breifly bothering to make eye contact. "I meen, look at yourself. That has to be the worst dye job I've ever seen." Sakura gasped. He glanced at her outfit. "And that dress? Ew, a little slutty don't you think?" Sakura didn't know wheather to double over in laughter or be enraged. Deidara stood up.

Anyone who knew either of them would know that their personallites clash violently.

"What did you do to Sasuke-kun!"

"Who? That cute brother of Itachi's?"

"...you did do somthing didn't you!"

"Calm down, bitch. I did nothing."

"But you're wearing the same cloack as Itachi!"

"...So what?"  
There was silence.

"I'm taking you to the Hokage for questioning."

Deidara looked up, bord and annoyed. He placed a finger on her nose and grinned widely.

"Jeez you have a big forehead."

Sakura was not amused.

* * *

"Leader-sama!" Sasori cried over his phone eyeing Kisame nervously. "What now!"  
The man over the line sighed.

"Sasori, concidering you can't handle anything, I'm sending over a new recruit I've been wanting to test out."  
Sasori was puzzled and he took away the phone from his ear and raised his eyebrow.

"Who?" _Aw, hell no...I hope it's not that guy..._  
"His name is Tobi. Thats all you need to know."

* * *

Gaara knew this was serious by the terrifying look in Naruto's eyes;

_Touch Sasuke, and I'll kill you._

The red haired Kazekage smiled grimly.

* * *

"I hope that Leader-sama lets me become an Akatsuki after this, I do."An orage mask glinted softly in the dying winter light, fiery by the cold gates of Konohagurea 

It was totally silent

"This Deidara-san looks so pretty from this picture. She does, she does."

* * *

"Ouch, you fucking bitch. That hurt." Deidara rubbed his head and looked around at the debris around him. "This sucks. Fuck!" He dug around in his cloack and tossed a clay fish at her (He _was_ saving it for Kisame but this would be of better use).

"Huh? What the hell is this?" She mumbled, moving twards the object.

"Silly bitch! Bingo!" Sakura went flying backwards into a cloud of smoke. Deidara grinned triumphantly. "That was way too easy!" He sprinted over to the impact sight and looked around, making another clay bird in his hands. He saw a pink-haired body lying unmoving in the rubble. As he moved closer, in a puff of smoke it formed into a log.

"What the?" _A log?_

"Don't move or I'll blow your head off!" There was a kunai to his throat.

Deidara's grin vanished. "Your too confident..."

"What is it, Mr. Mad Bomber?" She snickered. "Never had someone else say it before?"

* * *

KYAA! MY POOR DEI-CHAN! smacks Sasuke senseless REVEIW!

-bc


	23. Chapter 23

**YAY! CHAPTER 23! Now I have to go read Naruto manga chapter 366! Yes, your BankotsuChick is one of those losers who have read all the naruto chapters, 1-366!!! lol, REVEIW! **

**-bankotsuchick**

* * *

Deidara felt the cool air rush around him like a void of crisp blue.

_Damn. I had to escape. This can't be good; I'm sure she's looking for me._

His thick blonde locks tussled around his perfect face and he could see all of Konoha from below the rooftop and the five towering faces of the Hokage.

Sakura _was_ looking for him. Deidara, though, as he ran across the roof towardes a figure he noticed to be Itachi, had no idea how close she was.

* * *

Naruto was slightly horrified (more so than he wanted to be or should have been) when he relized he was still in nothing but his boxer shorts. He was even more suprised that stupid Neji and stupid Gaara had said nothing when he came down the stairs. That pretty Deidara fellow had snatched them from him and he hadn't cared much to take them back.

"Sasuke...probably won't even mind." As he reached the rooftop, he felt an awful blast of chilled air whip around him.  
"Oh...Fuck..."

* * *

!CHAPTER 364 SPOILER!

Sharinghan glinted softly in the brisk dusk. It was neither Itachi's nor Sasuke's.

Tobi blinked through the thick hollow orange spirals at the mailbox infront of a modest apartment complex. He looked up and grinned beneath his mask.  
Uzimaki. Perfect.

Pien-kun would be proud.

* * *

Kakashi cough and sputtered through the debris.  
_Tsukoyomi. That bastard._

He had sealed the deadly black flames quickly; after all the little mother-fuckers spread like poison in a human body. The silver-haired jonin took a quick, futile look around the apartment knowing already that Itachi was gone. He had fallowed Naruto, no doubt about it.

Kakashi stood up, slightly dazed by the fact that Itachi's face, with that slick black hair and those cole-black eyes was burned painfully into his memory. As unsure as he was of his feelings, he was sure he either was in love with Sasuke (still) or Iruka-chan. But Itachi-teme? Never!

* * *

-click click click-

The sound of Itachi's thick wooden sandals slapping against the rough black shingling made his entire body tense even more. He honestly had no idea where he was really going, he was fallowing his heart.

But when he saw Naruto right in front of him, he knew that his heart was wrong.

* * *

Kisame had absolutly no idea what he was suppose to do. Sasuke looked abosolutly petrified; he had drained of all color and was quivering after waking up looking strait into the eyes of the shark-man.

"...fuck." Kisame was suppose to keep Sasuke alive and well until Naruto arrived; that was their main target for the Akatsuki as of now anyway, the nine-tailed fox. But how could he do with an extremely powerful, terrified Uchiha who pwned him in everyway?  
"Sasuke, don't move unless you want to die." He warned with fake ferocity in his voice.

The binding around the Uchiha made it so he couldn't feel his wrists. His throat was burning terribly and his muscels were cramped and aching. Ontop of it all, he was nautious.

"Done." Sasuke's headache was so trecherous that he couldn't deal with that pathetic (compared to him) ninja when he could think of an excuse later. He shot a piercing glare, though, just to warn him off.

"...is it true?" Kisame mused after a moment.

"What?" Sasuke snapped. "That I'm a male/female fucking freak?"

"I guess. The baby and all."

"Yeah. I wish it weren't, but hey. It is." Kisame blinked at Sasuke and asked a genuine question.

"You sure you're a man?"

Sasuke's face flushed and he could barely contain his rage. He wished his fists were free. He could probably have untied himself, but Kisame was staring right at him.

"Yes, and I'm having a baby. Omigosh! I can feel it kicking. Here, look!" Sasuke squealed.

"Really?" Kisame gullibly placed his hands on Sasuke's stomach. With the feel of the shark-nin's heavy hands feeling his torso, Sasuke had kicked him with all his strenth in the groin and blazed off with his wrists still binding behind his back.

Kisame was left writhing in pain for a few minutes.

Sasori (who had observed the entire scene but said nothing about it) gawked after the Uchiha but layed back and decided not to fallow him. That was an insane guy, for sure and the red-haired sand-nin was also still kinda freaked out with the idea of a pregnant man.

"So far, I do not like that baby, Kisa-kun." He mumbled whole-heartedly with a grin to his companion who was still squirming on the roof-shingled surface.

"G-get that fucking kid!" Kisame seethed.

"Alright, sheesh." Sasori hissed, throwing on his cloak. (he had been enjoying the weather until a cirtain blue-shark-fish-thing interrupted him-how often was it cold in June? Sasori loved the cold) "I'm going. Find Deidara. Tell him to keep Naruto, the Kazekage and the Hyuuga jonin at bay, okay?"

"No need," A soft, child-like yet expirienced voice spoke from behind him. "I'll go help Dei-kun.

Sasori whirled around to meet face to face the orange masked man standing before him..

"Oh fuck! You...whats your name again!"

The sand ninja had seen him before, many times, but by the end had chosen to ignor him. He was a powerful ninja but demenstrated his powers to no one but Pien-sama. Ontop of that, he was annoying, brash, overly obsessed with Diedara while the blonde hated him with every fiber of his being and above all, a complete idiot.

"Tobi! That's my name. Oh yes, I'm a good boy." The masked-nin smiled beneath his cover. "And I'll go get Deidara for you."

Sasori had only enough sense, though, as he was fuming with rage, to sit back down and aid his wounded friend while he forget all about Tobi.

_Poor Deidara...he's in for a suprise._

* * *

**That was a filler. Totally pointless. But the next chapter's all written out for you, you just needa reveiw and I'll update again! BTW, I have another plot-line in store that could lead this fic into the fourties (chapter wise of course) or should I end it gracefully in few chapters?  
tell me your thoughts!!!!**

**(REVEIW!)**

**-bankotsuchick**


	24. Chapter 24

**OMG. SO LONG. I"M SORRYYYY! I LOVE YOU ALL! BTW, I'll update MUCH sooner now! And my 100th reveiwer...will get to see first hand before anyone else...MY ROSES ARE RED DOUJINSHI! YAY!**

**And please, reveiw hard to forget, my other story. If you want this updated, that is. grins**

**-bankotsuchick**

* * *

Sasuke saw Sakura first. He couldn't help but break into a quick smile of relief and breath a 'Sakura-chan...'

"Sasuke!" She cried, grinning. "How did you get away?"

"Easy, no sweat." Sasuke mumbled, remembering distinctly that he kicked a fish guy in the groin. "I'm okay, where's Naruto?"  
"Looking for you."

Sasuke sighed, once again relieved. He turned to Sakura, for their next plan of action, yet her face was strangly grave.

"Sakura?"  
"Well, Sasuke, I have something that can wait no longer." Sasuke felt hot when her eyes drifted to his stomach. "Really, I need to speak with you and Naruto-chan."

"Just tell me now, I'll give the news to Naruto." He wanted to know here, now; Sakura was sure that this could be a bad idea, but she didn't want to argue with Sasuke right now.

"Well, before I got caught up in all this, I was coming over to speak of your pregnacy."

The shock burned in his stomach and throat, sending ripples of fire along every vein. It was a physiological response he was well accustomed to by now; it was fear and disbelief, coupled with a serious urge to vomit and end the swirling discomfort throughout his entire body. The idea was unbelivably disgusting, the reminder somehow frustrating.

The raven-haired kneaded his confused forehead, closing his eyes in a stressed sort of way.

"Yeah. What of it?"

"It seems, in the heat of the moment, we've forgotten?"

"I suppose." Sauske shrugged. He wished Sakura would get to the fucking point so he could make sure Naruto wasn't being mauled by an entire Akatsuki, drugged and carried off to a secluded lair.

"The father of your child..."

"Yes?"

Sasuke had only now remembered about the whole ordeal, but he was sure it was Naruto. Nothing could tear them apart like that baby he'd grudgingly agreed to keep not even being his. He would have to discard of it, finally, if that was the case, promtly ending his year-long intement trelationship with the blonde.

He could practically feel fox-chakra seeping through his own veins and throbbing in his torso.

The pink haired woman looked like she needed sleep desprately. Sasuke dearly wish she could tell him now. "It's..it's..." She paused, like it was vulgar to say, like a curse words. "Neji!" Sasuke immidiatly relized he should be 'careful of what he wished for'.

* * *

Naruto felt his heart stop. He could see him from here and he was with Sakura. There was still no Itachi in sight, but he was still grinning. It was Sasuke! Sasuke was alright!

* * *

Itachi knew that this mission was going terribly wrong. His partner and the rest of them were entirely gone and Itachi wasn't even sure if they were smart and had fled the scene before the village found out. 

When had things gone wrong?

He was just suppose to capture the Uzumaki, Sasuke as bait.

Why had this all changed?

_Ah yes. _Itachi grimmanced, hearing the slap of his sandles on the roof shingling. It was beacause he had fallen in love.

* * *

Kakashi was breathless, huffing as he reached the rooftop. He had to alert Tsunade right away and the ANBU black ops before things got fatal. 

But each time he pictured the beautiful face of Itachi Uchiha, his heart ached. Though he knew, he had to go through with it.

* * *

Naruto had been so happy to see Sasuke and after their kiss (they didn't even care who was watching though they were usually secretive about their love) He embrassed Sasuke deeply, wiping the hair from his face and kissing his forhead. 

"God, you don't know how happy I'm glad you're okay."

"Yeah..." But instantly, looking at the handsome face and cerulean eyes, Sasuke's own eyes were budding with tears. _Neji. Neji's the father...of my baby! Not you, my lover...not you...I don't want to break your heart_.

"Sasuke-chan." Naruto cupped his stomach, Sasuke snarled dissaprovingly; the blonde frowned too and used his thumb to wipe the corners of the boy's thoughtful eyes. "Don't you see now, you don't have to be upset. Everything's alright now..."

_I DON'T WANT TO BREAK YOUR HEART!_

_"No..."_ Sasuke seethed, blonde locks in his fingers, wretching them about, making Naruto's eyebrows knit at the unformilliar, unaffectionette touch of his lover. "_Nothing is alright!"_

**glomps reveiwers**

**-bc**


	25. Chapter 25

**Shut up. Just shut up. I know what your gunna say, I haven't updated in months and blahblahblah...but I got a laptop and dthe next about 6 chapters planned, okay? **

**who am I kidding: I LOVE YOU GUYS AND IM SOOOOOOOOO SORRY! KYAH! BUT BANKOTSUCHICK IS BAACK!**

**the plot is going to get REALLY GOOD. Like, aside from what happens in this chapter, its gunna be crazy.**

**ill update regardless of reviews because you guys deserve it, but really, please, do it for me?**

* * *

It had been three days, now, Naruto couldn't believe the time that had flown by. Three days since Sasuke and Naruto himself had faced the Akatsuki in what could have been deadly. But they had survived, minor injuries aside. They had survived together.

"Kuso!" He heard a yelp from the kitchenette, startling him from his contemplating daze. He flicked his overgrown blonde locks to the side with a sharp gesture of his neck to see that Sasuke was knelt over a rather large mess on the floor, a hand clutching the roots of his hair in frustration. Naruto's blonde brow furrowed in pity.

"You don't have to cook, Sasuke." He mumbled, tossing the raven-haired boy a dish-rag.

"But I want to do it, Naru..." Sasuke seemed to be in this horribly serious concentration; he wouldn't even catch his own raven eyes with their cerulean counterparts, just a compassionate gaze away. No, he was content with looking at the mess he had made by dropping half a carton of eggs on the floor and the other mess he had made trying to clean it up.

"No you don't."  
"Baka, I _want_ to do it!"

Sasuke didn't look most particularly professional, today. He couldn't get away with simply tucking the long raven locks behind his ear in a playful manner, no, he had to pin to them to base of his neck in a strange fashion. His headband lay upstairs on his bed, Naruto knew, right in his pillow case where he thought nobody knew it was. A simple choice in clothing, comfortable jeans that rested comfortably on his slim hips and the loosest tee Naruto had ever seen him dawn was in order, the raven haired boy had decided. His bottom lip was gripped by his teeth in concentration. It was almost terrifying, almost adorable.

"Sasuke, I'm serious." Naruto knelt beside his lover. Sasuke's eyes narrowed dangerously. His lover had thrown on a form-fitting sleeveless thing as a top, and his bottoms matched Sasuke's, save that they were obviously larger. Sasuke's lover's hair _was_ getting to be a bit long now, and he didn't really care for that sloppy kind of look; disorganization often made him feel paranoid.  
"So am I."

"Stop it."

"Stop what?!"

"Stop trying to cook, first of all." Naruto reached up from his kneeling position and turned off the burner, which had been sautéing something charred and black for their entire conversation. "And relax. I'll take care of things; after all, you're pr-"

Sasuke forcefully threw a hand over his lover mouth before the next syllable passed his lips. Naruto sighed into Sasuke's palm; his lover would never change, he should have known that, of all people. He took the palm off of his mouth and studied it for a moment before Sasuke sharply drew his hand away.

"You have the smallest hands." A toothy smile splayed stupidly over Naruto's face.

"Not small enough to cover your big mouth."

Naruto grinned and adoringly kissed his lover's forehead. Sasuke scowled when the kiss trailed from his forehead to his nose, then his lips. But he did want it, as much as he hated himself for it. He didn't want to admit this, and probably never would; Sasuke wasn't some rabid dog in heat, he could control his feelings.

His pale, thin lips parted to Naruto's forceful entry, and his thick black eyelashes fluttered closed with the crease of an annoyed raven brow.

RING, RING, RING.

At first, Naruto was content on ignoring it, his kisses starting to move lower, against Sasuke's jaw,

RING, RING, RING.

"Aren't you going to get it, baka?"

"Oh Jesus." Naruto fell backwards, his back against the stove. Sasuke began to stand and brush himself off. "Just when-"

RING, RING, RING.

Sasuke flashed the tinniest smile; three things could make him smile: Irony, clowns (this was a secret he would never tell till the day he died, if that) and Naruto-baka. Naruto stood up as well and brushed past Sasuke with a rush. Sasuke was slipping off his oven mitts when he heard Naruto's voice answer the phone.

"What." He groaned against the receiver, slumping against the couch.

"Hello, Naru-chan." It was Sakura's bright morning voice from the Konoha clinic. "I just wanted to let you know you and Sasuke should probably stop buy with your minor injuries if you haven't treated them already. I've treated everyone else who was involved in those three days ago."

Naruto rolled his eyes, but a limp in his ankle protested of its own.

"Alright. I'll be in later."

"Bring Sasuke; we might want to check up on the you-know-what."

"...its okay, Saku, Sasuke's not here."

She grinned. "The baby, okay? Well, anyway, I've already called Neji-chan, and he's planning to give you soul father ship of the kid. You'll be a much more involved father that Neji-chan would be, that's for sure. Can you picture-"

"What are you talking about? It's my kid, Sakura. Why would Neji get involved?"

Sakura froze over the line, her heart ticking with perturbation against her chest. She twiddled her thumbs and breathed heavy into the receiver. "Sakura?" Naruto's voice was harsher. "Why would Neji get involved if it was my-"

"Neji-chan and Sasuke-chan didn't tell you anything?"

"Why would they if IT''s MY KID." Naruto was breathing thick denial, Sakura could feel it.

Sakura slammed the receiver down onto the desk, making Ino jolt from her mid-day nap on the file cabinet.  
"What the hell, Sakura?" She snapped. "You know I've been up for days with all these patients from the Akatsuki freak attack." The blonde yawned and placed two hands on her hips. "Well?"

Sakura buried her head in her hands, ignoring Ino. "Why did I open my big mouth?"

"Hey Naru, could you hand me that-" Sasuke had came wandering into the room looking for a spatula when he saw Naruto sitting preoccupied with his thoughts on the couch. When he had found it, he had began to ask Naruto to hand it to him, yet the blonde startlingly spun around, and with his great hands pinned Sasuke to the wall, by his throat.

"…you lied to me, you bastard."

"…nn…!" The grip his lover had on him was uncomfortable and strange.

"Why did Sakura say Neji-chan would _let me be the father_?" Sasuke's heart slowed count. Naruto had found out. He had been dreading this all along. He had hoped Naruto could live without knowing, that he could blissfully believe it was his child. Then they could live happily. It would be so much more practical. But it would be too much like lying. Somewhere in the pit of his black mind he was relieved, and in another part he was heartbroken not himself but for his lover. The harsh, unforgiving touch of his lover hurt almost as much as the pain in his voice and the tears beading in those beautiful cerulean eyes.

"Why did she say that Sasuke!" He snarled. Sasuke gasped for a breath; his eyes could barely meet Naruto's even though he was suspended in the air by his lover's hold. "Why would she tell me I'm not the father of your-"

"I don't know!" Sasuke snarled. "She made a mistake."

"No she didn't, you liar!" Naruto seethed. "You lied to me! I thought when I first saw that baby's eyes, they would be blue like mine, but no, I'll see those horrible white eyes of that bastard. Every time I see that baby I'll be reminded of him. How could you do that to me? I thought you loved me!"

"...I...!" I DO LOVE YOU, he wanted to shout. But he couldn't, he just couldn't.

Naruto dropped his lover to the floor where the raven haired boy panted.

"How could you?"  
Sasuke kept his eyes on the ground, where he was sure they belonged after such betrayal; with a pitiful slam of the front door he knew he had been terribly wrong, just wishing he could look his lover in his eyes and tell him how much he really did care.

* * *

"He couldn't be taking it that badly, Sakura..." Ino patted a comforting hand against her pink-haired friend's shoulder. "Naruto loves that guy to death. There isn't any reason for him to be upset for more than a moment."

"Oh, but that isn't true, Ino! It just isn't true!" She snapped tetchily, standing up from her sitting position on the top of the desk, papers flying askew. "Naruto's in _love_ with not just Sasuke, but the baby too! Oh, Ino! That just broke the poor guy's heart! I know it did!"

"Sakura, look..." Ino took a long drag on a cigarette; ever since the Uchiha case began to surface and her relationship with Shikamaru started to hit turbulence, she had began along with those personal problems a new one out of habit. "Drink some coffee, okay? It looks like you haven't slept in days, and maybe after that I could cover your evening shift, alright?"

"You just don't understand, Ino! I did it again!" She leapt up and dropped her Konoha Medical Clinic white lab coat on the floor in a huff and sped out the door. Ino sighed, picked up her best friends mess because after all, that was what best friends did, and plucked the last cigarette from the carton and lit up.

* * *

_Naruto's forehead was pressed against Sasuke's in this chaste manner, his strong forearms, bronzed by the recently passed summer, on the raven-haired boy's shoulders. __Naruto grinned. This was a first. Never did he meet someone so hateful after they had such a history together, someone who could forget him so fast and only hold on to the things that mattered to him; pain and hurt and revenge._

_A shiver of fear ran down Sasuke's spine as Naruto moved toward him, one arm curving around his waist to draw them together. The blonde's face inched closer, his lips tight. Sasuke was completely shocked. What the hell! He was going to kiss him? Well, Sasuke had no intention of ever kissing that blond idiot. No way in hell...Sasuke was a boy, after all, and boys didn't kiss other boys. It was wrong. It was shameful._

_But Naruto didn't kiss Sasuke, anyway. Instead he just stared at him with those cerulean eyes, faces so close their breaths could have entwined. Naruto was handsome, that was sure. Sasuke met his eyes boldly _

_"You see Sasuke; I just realized you have your head so far shoved up your ass you can't see the beauty of humankind. We're equal, you know. You're not any better or any worse than I am, fool..." Sasuke quivered as he felt Naruto's hot breath on his ear; he couldn't understand him, why should he? He was an Uchiha, god-damn-it! In pure anger, Sasuke put his hands on the blonde's chest to push him away, but it was like trying to stop a moving train._

_Gently, Naruto caught both of his hands in his, then placed a finger underneath Sasuke's chin and tilted his head back to better gain access to his lips. Sasuke opened his mouth to object but then—Naruto kissed him—driving away any form of protest from his mind._

_And it didn't matter that Naruto had a gash on his forehead from where Sasuke had furiously knocked him to the ground to show him how much stronger he had become, nor did it matter that Sasuke's slashed headband was slipping off his forehead in the rain and bobbing over his eyes, lids fluttering closed. It didn't matter that they could stay still in that place, kissing and loving and hating and hurting all at once._

_A gentile but forceful hand, made almost blithe by the stupidity of their actions, clutched a bony shoulder, made small and meek by the weakness of pointless anger, and as they kept kissing, an ankle slipped behind the other, making the pair collapse to the wet dew-grass._

_"I hate you so much."_

_"I hate you too." Naruto grinned and pulled the headband fully over Sasuke's eyes and kept on kissing him until he couldn't feel anything anymore. _

Naruto snarled at the memory. He had to do something, had to go somewhere to forget about this a while before he could even begin to think of a solution. But he couldn't deny the echoes of times passed that were rocketing through his brain at the worst of times. Before they had learned to love each other, they were broken people, dark, mysterious men with agonizing lives. But sloppy kisses mended their hearts and wounds, words and times shared illuminated the darkness their lives and laughter they could live changed them and somehow they had made each other better.

What had Sasuke said, that he remembered? The most important things were revenge, pain hurt? It felt like Sasuke was causing him to feel all three. For the first time in his whole life Naruto Uzumaki felt such a pain and such a hurt, and such a need for revenge.

* * *

Neji Hyuuga had thought that things had begun to go his way for once. As he walked up the drive way into his luxurious home where he knew his lover would wait for him and catch him in his arms when he would open the door, he began to ponder the events of the last few days.

Sasuke's baby had been his after all. This was a problem, but he had found a solution with Sasuke. They had met in secret at Hinata's coffee shop, (and though Sasuke had said they were unnecessary he still believed sunglasses, fake mustaches and wigs were in order) and discussed that Neji would have nothing to do with the baby Sasuke was being forced to keep by Naruto, who would be the father, as far as everyone else was concerned.

The Akatsuki was fine and taken care of. Their next attack couldn't be even in the early stages of development; there were such measures of security taken that a bird flying over head couldn't get away without being inspected.

And he was healthy, he supposed, and he had his money. And he had a hot boyfriend. Life could be better, he supposed, but it could also be a lot worse too. The phone rang while he put the grocery bags on the glass kitchen table.

"Gaara! Get the phone, will ya?"

He grinned when he heard his lover stumble down the stairs, throwing off his reading glasses he refused to let anyone see him in and pick up the phone."Hello?" The read-haired Kazekage's already gloomy expression deflated by at least ten times. Neji was confused. He mouthed, 'who's on the line, baby?' but Gaara didn't move, scarcely breathed. Finally, he broke his motionless prose and nodded, a bead of sweat dripping down his forehead. "Alright, Naru. Thank you."

"Why was Naruto calling you?" Neji asked with little interest, tossing the gallon of milk into the refrigerator. "What did he have to say, you look nervous. Real tense..."

"Well con-fucking-graduations, Neji. You'll be a great dad."

"What?" Neji's brow furrowed as he tried his best to remain his famous Hyuuga brand of calm and collective.

"You know what I mean. You had sex with _Sasuke_. And _look_ what came from it..."

"This was a very long time ago, Gaara-chan." Neji felt cornered as his lover began to walk towards him. He straightened his back and tried to hold his ground, though Gaara was clearly taller. "I thought we-"

"A long time ago?" The red-haired boy wasn't losing his temper, and that terrified Neji the most. "Look what came of it, Neji!" He spat coldly. Neji's eyes closed for a brief moment like he was about to be struck. When his eyes flickered opened, opal and cool, Gaara-chan had disappeared.

* * *

"Why does it mean so much to them, Tsunade-sama?" Sakura whispered in her hands, halfway to talking to herself. She had stopped by Tsunade's simply to talk and that indeed was what she had done. Tsunade had herself not done much of anything other than flick her shimmery lengthy blonde hair to the side of her neck, nod meaninglessly and sip her tea.

"Well, being a father is almost everything to a boy in love, you known. It means completing them a little bit more."

"But genetically, it's almost stupid. Why does it have to be _their_ kid? Why can't they just comfortably raise someone else's without throwing a fit!?" Sakura was breathing hard. Tsunade's eyes narrowed and she sipped her tea carefully. "Why does it matter so much that they would leave the person they loved most?"

"Well," Sakura was very interested in what Tsunade would say next. "There child is what they leave behind on this earth, Sakura. It means there's always going to be some part of them living on what their fathers passed to them."

"…I think we're about to see the sort of chaos and hatred you or I could never have imagined before."

* * *

Itachi Uchiha was sitting down for the first time in days, twisting his thick, shiny black locks into braids unconsciously and then untwisting them around his finger. There was a silence that pervaded the small room in which Kisame, Deidara, reside for the night. Deidara was tossing a ball of clay he kept in the pocket of his cloak up and down arithmetically as Kisame watched, somewhat drowsy. Sasori was humming softly to himself as he stitched up one of his puppets that had been nearly destroyed in their fight with Konoha three days earlier.

Not a man wanted to speak of the terror they would face when they saw leader-sama and when he would find out the news of their failure. Not a word was spoken about how he would skin them alive and how they probably would never hear the end of such a simple mission being so severely and utterly ruined.

Deidara's cell phone began to ring and with a need to end the awkwardness, he whipped it out and answered immediately. "What is it, yeah?" All eyes befell him. He blushed slightly. "Oh, hello leader-sama. How are you, yeah?" Deidara was quite for a long time, long enough that Itachi took his eyes away and began to inspect the chipped black polish on each of his fingers.

Suddenly, Deidara snapped the phone shut with a pleasant expression splayed like a child across his face.

"Who was that?" Kisame asked, again simply wanting something to fill the silence.

"It was leader-sama!" Deidara grinned. "And he's not going to be back for several more days, yeah!"

A look of relief washed over each boy in the room. "Well, what are we supposed to do for 'several more days'?" Sasori mused.  
"Let's go out somewhere. One last hoorah, what do you say, yeah?" Deidara was standing up and stretching his limbs. "We deserve it!"

Not a soul breathed a sound about the fact that anyone who had failed did not deserve anything at all, nor could four men wanted around the country could do many things without being found out. And rice hats and infamous cloaks wouldn't help.

"Alright, sure, why not? One last hoorah before all hell breaks loose, am I right?"

Sasori was scowled at as the few Akatsuki members picked up their things off the floor and slid on sandals and coats.

"You ever heard the saying, hell is other people?" Kisame laughed, but no one else seemed to find it very funny at all.

* * *

**So did you like it? Like I said, it'll get alot better...**

**-bankotsuchick**


	26. Chapter 26

**Holy. **  
**Fucking.**

**OHMYGOD.**

**I can't even.**

**DOES ANYONE EVEN READ THIS ANYMORE?**  
**I figured I'd do a pity update because I'm absolutely in love with Naruto again.**

**But this story is stupid. Like it's hilarious and all, but the plot of the actual manga is totally ignored. _ WHICH IS**  
**WHY YOU SHOULD ALL READ MY NEW FIC,**

**(much better writing, of course! You'll love it, I promise!)**

**-dundundundun- **  
**TRIALS OF LOVE! **

**QUICK OVERVIEW: Sasuke returns to Konoha and is living with Kakashi. He had joined Naruto in defeating Madara (with the help of a revived Itachi! Yup. Kabuto reanimated his body and Tsundae confiscated the clone and brought his soul back...can't write a fic without Itachi) and now he's living a normal ninja's life before his trial. The trial is for all his crimes (killing Danzo, working with the Akatsuki, plotting the destruction of the Leaf, etc) and it decides weather or not he's allowed continue this everyday life, or if he's sent into isolation/prison.**

**BUTOFCOURSE, him and Naruto realize their feelings for eachother and lemonnnn it up and fall in love _**

**THEN, The village elders vote to erase all of his memories except basic jutsu, so he can never be a harm to the town again. (Itachi was pardoned because of that whole incident where he killed his clan for the sake of the village, etc) Naruto's heartbroken and determined to get it back, somehow. Tons of humor, good writing and a believable, addictive plot.**

**You'll love it, I PROMISE! **

**ANYWAY BACK TO THIS FIC.**

**P.S i'd suggest going back a little, it got pretty confusing a few chapters ago ;D (And I'm sorry I used to suck at writing, and that this chapter blows because it's 6am and I haven't been to bed yet...)  
**

**MUCH LOVE AND I HOPE YOU LIKE IT :D**

* * *

Sasuke couldn't believe what had just happened. The rage had melted away into a deep, twisting guilt like a knife in his gut. Naruto had pinned him against the wall, with the threat of death and anguish, and he was fucking pregnant.

_Pregnant._ The thought sent shock waves throughout his body; he stumbled back leaning against the stove and breathing out slowly, deeply. Then he closed his eyes. _No. I'll get rid of it. This can't even… be real. I'm a male, and it's completely genetically physically impossible. _Not to mention the embarrassment that harassed his face in splotches of red every time the thought dared to grace his mind.

_How could this have happened?_ He wondered, sliding to the floor, absent mindedly slipping a hand under his shirt and caressing the flat, toned abs that were beginning, already, to soften. He groaned at the thought of having a volley-ball sized protrusion ruining his figure. Not that he would ever tell a soul, but he was so proud of it, and rightfully so. Proud of the looks and giggles that he got as he walked by from girls falling in love at first sight, proud of how he could glance in the mirror and feel smitten alone with his reflection (when he could stand the sight of himself and didn't have better things to worry about). But now, the simple pleasures of life…it was all shot to hell.

Naturally.

_How…on earth? That's all I want to know. And why me! _His head began to spin. He gripped the table edge for balance.  
It wasn't Kyuubi, which was for sure, because the child was Neji Hyuuga's, and there was barely anything besides his drive for perfection and his lovely opal eyes that made him sick. The lack of chakra control he was experiencing shot laces of black up his neck and shoulder. Goddamn curse mark…he tried to calm himself down but his eyes widened.

_Wait…_

_No._

He stumbled to the bathroom, vomiting immediately into the sink and slipping to the bathtub. Tears budded in his eyes and he scrunched his face, pale and tinted green, crinkling like a leaf.

_You're still haunting me, after all this time._

_Orochimaru…_

* * *

Sakura grabbed Naruto's hand as he waltzed into the bar on the corner of her clinic. She had expected to go to his apartment and find him sulking, but if he was already drinking, that meant he felt guilty.

Which meant he did something wrong.

She was lucky she caught him here and not six hours from now, making some mistake he would undoubtedly regret later. Sakura gulped as Uzumaki Naruto whirled around, tears splashing her in the face. The blonde's face, contorted with fury, took her aback.

"Sakura-chan let me go. I've got things to think about, okay?"

She untightened her grip on his thick wrist and sighed, a breath riddled with fatigue and worry.

"Then I'm thinking with you. I think we need it." She eyed him with a measure of uneasiness; Naruto had always been her rock since their earliest days together, and their hardest times. The confusion and strange resentment in his eyes was miserable for someone who had always been inhumanly strong.

"Need what, a drink or a conversation?" Naruto's tiny smile was the slightest comfort as he draped an arm around her slim shoulders and escorted her through the doors.

"Either way." Sakura mumbled, and turned off her phone. It was going to be a long afternoon.

* * *

-Flashback-

_Sasuke couldn't move; it seemed like every time he utilized the chakra to break his chains, it was gone and he fell flat on his back again on his sheets. It was his third night at Orochimaru's and although he didn't exactly fit in, he never imagined he'd be restrained like this._

_Kabuto was leaning over him, he dimly realized, and he felt bare and cold. He could lift his chin enough to see ink markings and seals being placed all over his skin. Sasuke shuddered and grit his teeth furiously…it reminded him of the curse mark that was already snaking its way up his neck, burning along every vein and inch of his pale, stretched skin._

'…_.Ninshin no jutsu…Seal of the Host!' The wispy black strokes seemed to slip under his skin and melt there, making it feel alive and electric._

'_Sasuke-kun, you are truly mine…body, heart, soul…we'll take this world together." The grotesque pallor of the face of his overlord grinned a toothy, blackened smile. His presence disappeared and all that was left of him was a chilling, quivering voice. '…and if necessary, if you ever betray me, we'll create a suitable, more brilliant accomplice.' The voice echoed, a filthy, miserable sound, until Sasuke fell into a heavy unconsciousness._

_The next day, all had resumed to normal. Training with the sanin himself, looking over the Sound's vast array of prisoners. His abdomen ached for a week afterward, but Sasuke took it as a normal side effect and the pain ceased to bother him. _

_-_End flashback-

* * *

Neji was the last person Sasuke wanted to wake up to, after having the worst dream he could have possibly imagined. He wouldn't wish this on his worst enemy, and seeing the reason his lover had stormed out and threatened his life didn't help.

"Sasu-baby, please tell me you're okay." Neji's collected soft voice, like sandpaper, and eyes like tepid spilled milk, lulled Sasuke's head back onto the floor.

"I'm fine." He clutched his stomach. "I just. Naruto didn't take it very well."

"Neither did Gaara, but I'm not entirely convinced this isn't just a joke either, you know?" He pet Sasuke's hair, and although his weakness disgusted him, Sasuke couldn't help but lean towards the parental touch.

"No, Neji." The whole idea of him carrying a baby was _disgusting_, shameful, embarrassing, and he didn't want to be reminded of it let alone have a conversation. But Neji was so soothing…"I know it's real. We can't be fools anymore, this is serious. And with Naruto acting like a fucking moron…I just…"

"What do you mean?"

"I had a dream just now…" He rubbed his head, pressing Neji's hand deeper into his midnight hair. "It was about…Orochimaru."

Neji sighed deeply and made himself comfortable across from Sasuke, under the sink. The village liked to keep it as the elephant in the room; Sasuke's sixth month departure nearly three years ago was a scar on the stone faces of the Hokages themselves, and letting him get away scott-free after going to work with an evil force like the Orochimaru was just as much of an issue. The village was working on the Akatsuki, and dwindling empire in the sound, and Sasuke was a needed ally. But those six months…Sasuke never had opened up to anyone, even Neji, his best friend.

Especially not Naruto. Sasuke couldn't think of anything worse than being pitied like this.

"Well…" Neji's brow furrowed. "How was it?"

"How do you think, dumbass?" Sasuke seethed. "It was wonderful, erotic; I pleasured myself and then proceeded to flop down here on the bathroom floor for a nice mid afternoon nap!"

Neji's white eyes widened.  
"Okay. Fine. Alright. Be that way Sasu-chan. But I'm not leaving you alone until you tell me what the fuck you saw."

"I saw what happened to me the third night at Orochimaru's north hideout." There was a thick pause in the air. "And I'm not going to go into details." His face reddened. "But it's because of a seal…that _this_ was possible." He stared down at his abdomen, adverting his eyes until he looked up at Neji, who was blushing slightly as well.

"You should probably say something to your boyfriend."

"He's not my…." Sasuke always hated the word, not only was it too confining to describe a relationship as sarcastic and crazy and beautiful as theirs, it was embarrassing. He still couldn't get over the fact that he was _gay_ (textually anyway- he certainly didn't mind sleeping with men) let alone pregnant with another man's child. The thought sent waves of nausea throughout his entire body, and up his throat. He sprang up and released the contents of his already empty stomach into the toilet; Neji winced. "Well, he threw me against a fucking wall…and he stormed out." The raven haired boy wiped his mouth, breathed heavily, eyes squeezed shut. "I can't think of anything I could possibly say to him, Neji-chan."

Neji's face hardened and he gritted his perfect teeth. The idea of Naruto being ignorant enough to throw his pregnant spouse around like a ragdoll was disgusting, and then to walk out and leave him, all just because of his stupid temper…it was _disgusting_.

"Goddamn…I'm so sorry…."

"It's fine."

"No, no it's not. Fuck. I feel like I should kill him, Sasuke."

Sasuke shrugged, but that's when Neji seemed to panic, and soon as the words left his mouth stood up, kissed Sasuke on the forehead eloquently and dashed out the door.  
Sasuke cocked his head and narrowed his eyes, until he realized what had just happened. Then he got sick again.

Neji cared.  
Not just about him, but about their baby.

* * *

Because Gaara, the sand's Kazekage, had a place in Konoha with his lover (the gender, name and identity was a mystery to all in the sand village, but because of his taste for little reading glasses and designer shoes it wasn't as hidden as he'd like to believe) it was simple for him to escape his responsibilities. But now, it was unavoidable. Not only did he hate his boyfriend at the moment, he hated every one of his friends and while he was at it, everyone in the goddamn village. _Especially_ because they had let the entire Akatsuki escape when they were under his noses.

Although, he wasn't completely blameless…Neji had effectively distracted him with his obsession with Othello; it had been a massive slap in the face to all legal systems across the continent. But he…he was so cute.

Gaara smiled, and then frowned.

Neji had always distracted him; once, though it had been a matter of months it felt like decades, he was grateful for it. The days he would show up at the sand palace with hot soup and a story about his idiot sensei, Might Guy. How Neji would make him laugh, and hold him tight when he missed his parents or couldn't handle the pressure that went with being the Kazekage. The times he would sleepover and Gaara would be reminded over breakfast of how painful and outrageously similar their lives had been before their cross-country friendship. And when that friendship blossomed into a passionate love affair one night, each took it gracefully as the best thing that had ever happened to them.

Gaara sighed and dashed past Konoha's massive stone gates. He had neglected his post severely; blown off the desperate messages from his fill-ins for his return. Now, with the Sasuke baby nonsense clouding his head and his heart, now he couldn't be more regretful forever meeting the Hyuuga in the first place.

* * *

**OKAY SO I HAVE A NEW REVIEW POLICY-**

**I'll review one of anyone's stories if they do the same for me :) So tell me how you like it and I'll help you get the reviews you deserve too ;D**

**much much MUCH love,**

**my darlings.**

**-G (bansu-chan)**

**:3**


	27. Chapter 27

**I'm thinking I'm probably gonna time skip sometime soon after some more drama/fights/ridiculous situations.**

**Any more plot ideas? I've still got a few up my sleeve but I wanna know what ya'll think :P**

**And please go review my newest story, Trials of Love.**

**I 100% promise it won't dissapoint, it's a little slower than this and more NaruSasu centered, but it's about to get really good, so go read while theres only 2 chapters and not**

**erm**

**27. **

**Much love**

**(REVIEW!)**

**-gracie :)**

* * *

Pain's eyes, rippling like a steady pool of rainwater, shone with disappointment. He knew Deidara wasn't any sort of genius, as much as the bratty blond insisted he was, and would probably screw things up to a degree. With Sasori in tow, who beckoned to absolutely anything Deidara wanted (save a declaration on how the blond was the best artist in the Land of Fire, bar none) he couldn't expect much from the team. Kisame was always diligent, but lazy.

It was Itachi Uchiha who _really _surprised him that evening.

He was so weak, so ridiculously unlike himself, and it disgusted the orange-haired nin. Konan had nothing to say on the subject but womanly nonsense that Pain would never, ever even factor into the equation. She barely knew Itachi Uchiha, so her blandly stated advice couldn't possibly be correct. The raven haired Konoha native was a master at suppressing emotion…any glimpse of, sadness, cheer, loss, humor, irritation; it would fall away in the bat of black eyelashes.

Itachi Uchiha, in love?

Absurd.

* * *

"And that's when I stormed out."

Naruto had just finished explaining the story of his tempura tantrum earlier, and Sakura was already horrified. As far as she was concerned, this was _all_ Naruto's fault to begin with.  
Save the baby. That was just a freak of nature.

"You put his hands around his throat, and threw him against a wall."

"Yup."

"Naruto-chan, where the fuck is your head?" She seethed, slamming her glass haphazardly on the bar counter, enough to make several other patrons glance in their direction. "He's carrying a _baby._ I know that's a screwy idea to get used to, but you have to learn to deal with it if you actually love the kid."

Naruto knew he did, blinking and taking a sip o f a beer he was sloshing around in the mug. Sakura was on her third. Furrowing his brow, he sighed deeply.

"You know I do." Now that he thought about it, laying his hands on Sasuke like that…they had pledged to stop their stupid physical fights years ago, but now, especially now…it seemed so wrong that Naruto had let his rage blind him enough to breech that. But he was Uzumaki Naruto after all; he wasn't exactly known for being level headed.

"And you're the one who cheated on him with Itachi, what, two months ago. If that. He was single when he had sex with the Hyuuga. You're the only one who's guilty. And I say that with love. For you, Sasuke and the baby." Pink hair fell in her flushing face.

"Sakura-chan…"

"You're going to apologize, right after this. I've decided it. Just because the kid is Neji's doesn't means he wants any part in its life, you know him. He's so...cold. He has no room for a kid in his life. So just raise it as a little orange menace, you'll hardly notice the difference. Especially if you guys love each other as much as I think you do."

Naruto grinned slightly at the term 'orange menace'.

"Bar tender? Another round please." Sakura swung and arm over his shoulder boyishly and Naruto sighed, relieved.

* * *

"I never told you Itachi and I had a past, did I?" Kakashi mused; leaning over Iruka's counter top. Umino Iruka raised an eyebrow, but nothing shocked him anymore after the recent drama with the Rookie Nine. There was always something to be revealed, another secret found out, and all Iruka could do was chuckle slightly. He liked to stay out of it.

"You didn't." He responded casually, going back to the horoscopes.

"Well when we were in the anbu, before the Uchiha tragedy…" Kakashi shifted his eyes. "He was fourteen. I was…twenty. It was a mistake, but he was just so …."

"So much like Sasuke?"

"You could say that."

"Continue."

"He wasn't like anybody else. So reserved and focused about his work, stressed and nervous all the time, like a little bird. One day I was leaning on a branch, our entire squad had been wiped off the face of the earth by the enemies the two of us effectively slaughtered. "

"When my team mates die, I like to hook up the remaining ones too." Iruka grinned, Kakashi sighed deeply with a hint of annoyance.

"I asked if I could kiss him, he nodded, and I did. First boy I ever kissed. It seemed simple enough, but I don't know. We started having lunch together. Every day, not even talking. Just enjoying each other's company. He never really opened up after all, but he helped me understand the Uchiha's a little more you know? He was the first person to see me without this mask, too. Then one day, out of nowhere, I saw him he was all over the news being blamed for the mass murder of his family. I don't think I left my house for a month."

Iruka's smile quickly faded at that last note, tinted with languor.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be, it was a long time ago. I don't even know why I've been thinking about it so much lately." He stirred his tea thoughtfully.

"Maybe because you wanted to save Sasuke from that same kind of situation, Kaka-chan?"

"Maybe…" He stopped fiddling with the tea spoon and grimaced.

_Definitely._

* * *

_"Gaara-teme?"_

When Neji arrived home at his empty apartment, he wasn't at all shocked.

Gaara had gone home. The ginger haired Kazekage had done this only a handful of times in their almost eight month relationship, and it had always been after a fight. In a few days he would return with gifts and a sweet tasting kiss.

Neji slumped onto the couch, considering phoning Naruto but then remembered he'd probably get his face smashed in. Surfing the television, he dozed off into the first dream he'd had in years.

It had been something about a baby being born into a family without a structured class system like one haunted him. Black eyes and delicate fingers. A bird, breaking free from its cage and fluttering away. When he awoke, he looked around to see if Gaara had returned. He was alone. Taking a safe breath, he let the first tear seep from his milky eyes. Taking a shuddering breath, he squeezed his eyes shut. Stumbling in to his bed, he buried himself under the comforter, the one he had warmly shared with Gaara only a night before praying for a dreamless sleep.

* * *

"Gaara-teme?"

Temari greeted her brother with arms open for a cautious hug, eyeing him closely. Gaara had literally stormed into the Kazekage's tower unannounced at eleven at night, when all offices were closed and she was locking up, plopping himself down in his official chair behind a large desk in the circular office.

"I want to know everything I've missed." Gaara insisted, snapping his fingers and narrowing his eyes, ringed with lines of charcoal black. "I've been gone almost two weeks without any contact from the village, and it's about time to inform me what's been going on."

Temari swallowed, instantly sensing something was off. Gaara would usually have to be dragged back to the village; in fact, while he was away the blonde teenager usually took over as substitute Kazekage. But she wouldn't dare tell him, because any blow to his pride at this point could be damaging.

The entire official staff had been taking bets on whether or not the red haired Kazekage was gay, bi or straight as an arrow for months now. Temari had known Gaara wasn't into women after the countless beautiful sand women threw themselves after the young bachelor, and he seemed more interested in spending so much time with a feminine looking boy from the leaf. It hadn't bothered her in the slightest, but she knew if _he knew _she knew, there would be hell to pay.

"What brings you back at this hour?" She swallowed.

"My duties to this village, what else?" Gaara spat, digging files from the desk. Out from one of the manila folders fell a letter. Gaara fingered it carefully, skimming the paper wordlessly for a moment. That letter hadn't been a secret to Temari, either. There was an entire shoe box full of them under Gaara's bed; he received several every time he traveled back to his village like this. No doubt, they were from Neji.

"Alright well then…I'll gather the council…" the blonde mumbled, voice riddled with fatigue. She glanced over at her brother, shocked instantly by the look of loss and pain striking his handsome, usually stoic face.

"Actually, we'll wait till morning. I really would rather be left alone"  
"Can I bring you some tea, or-"

"I said…" His voice broke, and he spun around in the chair so his back was to her, hands folded under his nose. "I need to be alone."

* * *

Sasuke now had a full grasp on the situation. Orochimaru had placed some sort of revolutionary jutsu on him during his stay with the snake sanin, and it had given him the ability to bear a child. Granted, Orochimaru was probably waiting to use that one himself (Sasuke shuddered at the thought) but it had still taken effect, so many years after his departure from the Sound. Now that he knew what caused the parasite that lurked within him, there was a chance he would be able to _get rid of it._

Humiliated and disgusted, he picked himself off the bathroom floor and gazed into the mirror. The slight-ever so slight- protrusion that softened his perfectly hard abs made him nauseous at the sight. Suddenly, he ran into the living room, grabbing a cushion off the couch. Stuffing it under his shirt, he glanced shamefully into the mirror again, turning.

_No, this is definitely not. Happening._

**awww sasuchan better get used to that image :P**

**What'd you guys think? I see alot of you favoriting and not reviewing, but if you took the time to just comment and tell me how you like it, it'd mean alot to me :) Plus I'll review one of your stories!**

**Anyways, like I said, go check out Trials of Love and feel free to suggest any further plot twists/ideas :)**

**Till next time!**


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